Captivity
by Snow Tigra
Summary: Finished. AU. In an alternate world where hair color determines whether you are master or slave Duo and his brother Trowa are captured and sold to a not so normal family. YAOI
1. Teaser

Title: Captivity  
Series: Gundam Wing  
Author: Snow Tigra  
Rating: R  
Pairing: 1x2x1, 3x4x3  
Warnings: AU, slavery (as in historical), prejudice, injustice  
Spoilers: nope  
Archive: Fanfiction.net  
  
Captivity  
Teaser  
  
All his life, all he could remember was the running. His mother had been running when he was born, or so his older brother, by one year, told him. He'd spent the entire fifteen years of his life running through fields and hiding in old buildings, rotted out trees and even in lakes where he could duck his head among the reeds. The running never seemed to end; it was simply a fact of life. Run or worse would happen to you. They hadn't even stopped running when their mother had died. She'd simply pushed them on and they'd ran, only to discover an hour later that she hadn't followed.  
  
They were alone then. But they hadn't gone back.  
  
Never look back.  
  
Never look back when death was chasing at your heels.  
  
Well the running had finally stopped now, but that hadn't made anyone happy. In fact, it was worse now. No more running when you were placed in a cage. And from there? No one ever returned to tell what happened after that.  
  
Duo growled at the tall blond guard who tossed him and his brother into the large cage among the other prisoners they'd caught. Immediately Duo raced to the edge of the cage, reaching his arms through and catching the back of the guard's armor. Yanking hard he pulled the guard back against the metal bars, causing him to hiss in pain as his head hit painfully. Pulling out of Duo's grasp he whirled on the boy, using his long pole like weapon to send Duo flying into the back of the cage, where he hit the wall and rolled onto the floor, holding his head. His brother quickly raced to his side, while the others watched in fear.  
  
They all knew better. They all knew that Duo shouldn't have done anything, he probably wouldn't live long enough now to repeat that mistake. As the blond guard walked away Duo cringed in the corner, holding his head and fighting desperately to hold onto consciousness. He didn't want to fall asleep, not here and not now. But no matter how hard he fought it was useless.   
  
His consciousness slipped away as his older brother, Trowa, held him tightly. He prayed silently his brother would wake up to a safer place, but he knew those prayers would probably never be answered.  



	2. Part 1

Part 1  
  
Milliardo walked past the bars and cages, his hand clasped tightly in that of his son. Blue eyes traveled over the various slaves, watching each closely for their reactions. He had to pick the right one, one who could be trusted in his household and with his children. But that was such a hard thing to do when the sellers wouldn't let you talk to them in private, not to mention that the class difference made it even harder to gain their trust.  
  
He hated how the world was divided by a simple thing as hair color, but wasn't in any position to change it. He certainly would have changed it if he could, this wasn't the type of world he wanted his two boys to grow up in, but he didn't have any other choice. The most he could do was select a pair to live a freer life then they would with any other master. Not to mention that his other son needed a companion for the long days he spent trapped in the house.  
  
Milliardo paused as he felt Quatre pull away from him, walking closely to one of the cages. The young blond boy frowned as he watched the ones behind the bars. Like his father he hated the idea of slavery, he didn't even like the idea of his father secretly buying their freedom. He would rather have just set them all free, no matter what the public said, but he knew his father would never let him make such a rash action, being that it would mean death to his entire family.  
  
Quatre tilted his head quietly and watched the two boys who'd caught his attention in the back. One held the other cradled in his lap, the second having fallen unconscious. The first boy glanced up and met Quatre's eyes, something that was expressly forbidden for them to do. Quatre's breath caught in his throat as he peered into those deep emerald eyes. He'd never seen one with that color eyes before, he felt like he was staring into a pair of precious jewels. Yet they were sad jewels, sadness and fear dancing behind the sparkles as they shown through the boy's thin bangs. The boy with the emerald eyes clutched the one in his lap tightly, and Quatre realized he was afraid. Afraid the two would be separated. Quatre blinked in surprise and turned back to his father.  
  
"Father?"  
  
Milliardo walked to his side and followed his son's finger to the two sitting in the corner. The green eyed boy was still watching them closely, the fear plain on his face.  
  
"Those two?" Milliardo wondered softly, Quatre nodded, going back to watching the boy with the emerald eyes. He smiled softly at the boy, trying to show that he meant no harm, but the boy quickly looked away, pulling himself and the one in his lap closer to the wall, farther away from Quatre and his father.  
  
Quatre's father nodded and turned to the guards, telling them of his choices in purchase. He wanted to buy the two huddled in the corner, the one with the emerald eyes and the one he was holding in his lap.  
  
The guard smirked. "Sir, pardon me for saying so, but you don't want that one. He's feisty, won't listen. He'd be better off dead, he'd probably hurt your son over there."  
  
Milliardo's eyes narrowed. "Are you implying that I can't control my property?"  
  
"No! Of course not! My mistake, please forgive me, Sir Peacecraft. I will fetch the two for you."  
  
Nodding to two of his co-workers, the guard marched to the doors. As he turned the key, those inside moved as far away as possible, afraid of being chosen for whatever fate was in store. None dared risk escape; they were all too scared. The two men approached the emerald-eyed boy and his silent companion, and the boy bit his lip, practically shivering in fear. They easily grabbed onto the unconscious boy, lifting him from the other's arms. The emerald-eyed boy's arms lingered for a moment, almost as he were silently begging them not to take the boy, but he knew better then to put up a fight. He stood to his own feet and followed them at their beckoning, keeping his eyes on the floor, concentrating on walking. He was practically shaking with fear as they fastened the collar around his neck, pulling it tight.   
  
Quatre watched him quietly, sad, wishing he could comfort the boy and tell him that it was all right, but he didn't dare while others were watching. It was too risky to show that much care for slaves, people would immediately turn on him and his father. Instead he lead them, with Milliardo, to the carriage and remained silent as the boy and his companion were pushed into the seats, the chains on their collars attached to the side of the carriage.   
  
All four settled in for the ride to their home, watching each other silently, while the one slept soundly in the emerald-eyed boy's lap, unaware of where he was headed or what would happen when they reached their destination.  
  
**  
  
Trowa stepped out of the carriage on tentative feet, and stopped, unable to completely move. The house before him was over whelming, magnificent and horrid at the same time. His mother had once told them of a house like this, one where she lived for a couple of years before she escaped. Like the one she'd been in there were high pillars and perfectly kept gardens, and many people rushing back and forth inside. Trowa took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves and his fear. In silence he watched as a servant from the house, also with brown hair, attempted to pick up Duo. Trowa's eyes narrowed and he slapped the man's hands away; no one would touch his brother!  
  
Quatre and Milliardo looked up in surprise at Trowa's sudden movement and nodded, Milliardo dismissing the servant. He turned to Trowa. "You may carry him into the house if you wish, we have a room he can sleep in until he wakes up."  
  
Trowa watched silently as Milliardo undid the collars from the side of the carriage then stepped back, allowing him plenty of room. He picked up Duo, holding his limp body tightly, and stepped back out of the carriage, following the two blond men up to the house. It struck him as odd that these two seemed so trusting, it was nothing like what his mother and the others had told him. The last thing he expected from these men was for them to turn their backs on him and let him follow, unwatched, as they moved toward the house.  
  
There was plenty of room to run and Trowa considered it, but tossed the idea aside quickly. At the moment his younger brother was unconscious and running would be hard with him unconscious. He certainly couldn't leave Duo here by himself and he wasn't about to run unless he knew he could take his brother with him. So he opted to follow silently, they'd leave when Duo woke up. Besides, these two blondes in front of him acted so differently from everything he'd ever heard of, he wanted to see what was going on. Was everything he'd heard a lie? Were they acting? Or were they actually different? And why?  
  
The young blond boy beckoned to Trowa and led him to a large room in which there was a soft bed with many covers. Trowa swallowed away his awe and amazement at his rich surroundings and walked to the bed, getting the boy's meaning easily. He laid Duo down on the bed and smoothed the bangs from his forehead, then sat next to the bed. He hoped he got his point across to the boy, he wasn't about to leave Duo alone until he knew he was all right.  
  
The blond boy stood near the door, watching them quietly as Trowa sat there, stroking Duo's bangs, more for his comfort then for Duo's. He needed to reassure himself that nothing bad had happened yet. Nothing they couldn't escape from, yet.  
  
"Do you have a name?" The blond boy asked quietly.  
  
Trowa looked up in surprise, then immediately diverted his eyes. He wasn't stupid, he knew that you weren't supposed to meet their eyes, even if they were younger then you. Once bought you don't look at them, even when they tell you to. No matter what, that's what his mother had always told them.  
  
The boy took a few timid steps forward. "My name is Quatre, do you have one?"  
  
Without looking up Trowa watched the boy walk up to him and reach for him. Quatre paused and swallowed, then reached forward again, touching the collar around Trowa's neck. Slowly, and carefully, he undid the buckle and pulled it off, setting it aside on the bedside table. Turning to Duo he reached for the boy. Trowa's eyes narrowed as he saw the boy reach for his brother, and he moved between the two of them, blocking the boy's hands. His emerald eyes flickered to the boy's face and narrowed, conveying his silent message.  
  
"I won't hurt him," Quatre said softly. "I just want to get that collar off his neck. I don't like those things, and you probably don't either. I just want to undo the buckle then you can take it off if you want. I won't even touch him, I'll just undo the collar."  
  
Trowa's eyes traveled over the boy's face, searching for any sign of deception, but he didn't find any. Slowly, his eyes still narrowed, he slipped back, allowing the boy to reach Duo. He sat there and watched in surprise as the blond moved forward and undid the buckle just as he said. It was strange, seeing him taking such great care not to touch Duo. The boy's small fingers undid the buckle and never once brushed Duo's skin. Pulling away he allowed Trowa to remove the collar, and Trowa tossed it to the floor, forgotten. He let his eyes travel to the blond boy again, just watching him quietly.  
  
"Are you two related?" He asked.  
  
Trowa said nothing.  
  
Sighing softly in defeat the boy turned and headed for the door. He paused before stepping through, and peered over his shoulder at Trowa and Duo. "Despite appearances and our differences I want to be your friend. You and him are safe here; you won't be hurt, by anyone. My family would never hurt you. What… what do I have to do to gain your trust and make you believe that?"  
  
Trowa's eyes narrowed and he looked away from the boy.   
  
"You may not believe me, but trust me please. We would never hurt you or your kind, I swear it."  
  
Trowa didn't look up but he wasn't able to stop the word that slipped from his lips. "Why?" it came softly, quietly and he froze as soon as it was said. He waited for the backhand or worse that his mother had always spoken about. You were never supposed to speak to them, it was forbidden.  
  
Quatre's eyes widened when he heard the boy speak and he stepped back into the room. "Why?"  
  
Trowa swallowed and didn't look up at the boy. For a long time they simply stood there in silence, the blond watching him as he watched his brother. That word had slipped, it wouldn't happen again. He wouldn't let it. Finally the boy got the point and nodded, knowing he wasn't going to get Trowa to say anything else.  
  
Quatre turned and left the room, shutting the door behind them and leaving the two alone. Now that was an amazing amount of trust, especially with the huge windows in the room leading to the yard out back. It would be so easy for them to run if Duo would only wake up.  
  
Almost as if he heard Trowa's silent plea Duo's eyes fluttered and he suddenly dropped into a small coughing fit. Rolling on to his stomach he coughed as quietly as he could for a couple minutes, then dropped back on the bed. He lay still for a few moments then his eyes opened and he looked at his brother. He blinked until his eyes opened fully and then suddenly sat up staring at the room around them. Trowa jumped forward to catch him as a wave of dizziness hit the boy and he nearly toppled over on to the floor.  
  
"Where are we?" Duo whispered quietly as soon as the dizziness had faded and Trowa had helped him lie back down.  
  
"We were bought, just after you were knocked out."  
  
"K'so," Duo swore softly. "We have to get out of here before they come back." He sat up and glanced toward the window but his head began to spin again and his stomach lurched. Duo collapsed back onto the bed with a groan. "How hard did they get me?"  
  
"Pretty bad."  
  
"Damn, I'm in no condition to run, I can't even get the room to stop spinning, much less follow you out a window."  
  
Trowa shook his head. "I'm not going, so don't worry."  
  
Duo's eyes narrowed. "Are you nuts?! You have your chance, take it! Get out of here before they come back, you know I'll follow when I can. We can't stay here, and you can't miss such a perfect chance to escape."  
  
"No." Trowa said firmly.  
  
"Baka!" Duo was going to yell more but he dropped into another small coughing fit and groaned loudly, holding his head.   
  
"I'm not leaving without you," Trowa stated. Turning away from the bed he grabbed the collar that had been around his neck and walked to the door, leaving the room. Duo barely seemed to notice, his head hurt far too much for him to protest.  
  
Trowa stepped outside of the room and frowned at the hallways before him. Lowering his head and his eyes he walked toward where he heard voices. Clutching the collar tightly in his hands he walked to the doorway to the sitting room, only to find the blond boy and his father sitting on the couches, talking in hushed voices. Quatre looked up as Trowa stepped to the door.  
  
"Is he all right?" Quatre asked, Milliardo just remained silent.  
  
Trowa stepped forward and dropped the collar into the boy's lap, still not making eye contact. "No." He spoke softly, carefully choosing his words. He knew he shouldn't be speaking, but he couldn't think of any other way to get his message across. "He's sick. He needs a doctor."  
  
Quatre's glanced to the collar, trying to understand why the boy had dropped it before him.  
  
"He needs help," Trowa repeated softly. "I swear I won't run away, if you help him."  
  
"Oh," Quatre said softly. He understood now. This boy was giving up his freedom to gain help for his friend. That seemed to speak volumes to Quatre, but he couldn't think of what to say. Instead Milliardo stood up and took the collar from Quatre's lap, tossing it into the garbage can on the other side of the room.  
  
"You don't need to make any such promises. I'll call a doctor in right away, and have him checked on."  
  
Trowa watched Milliardo leave the room in silence and he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Trowa whirled around and jerked away from Quatre, who'd tried to place a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
  
Quatre swallowed, startled by Trowa's sudden movement. "You don't have to promise anything, all you have to do is ask. I know my father will find a doctor willing to look at him and help him get better." Quatre's eyes shifted to the floor. "Please trust us."  
  
Trowa stood there silently, just looking at the boy in wonder. Why was he being so kind? Was his offer of friendship and trust a truthful one? Trowa frowned quietly, unable to completely decide. Something about the boy seemed too truthful and honest, but he couldn't bring himself to believe it. It was too good to be true. There was too much luck in the fact that they'd spent most of their lives running and now they were supposed to trust the one family that bought them? Trowa shook his head; it was too good to be true.  
  
"Please trust us," Quatre said softly, without still looking up. "Please trust me." His eyes shifted up and met with Trowa's and both boys stood silent.  
  
Trowa couldn't tear his own eyes away from those caring blue orbs. He'd never seen blue eyes with so much care and honesty in them before. It was a beautiful sight. He blinked and realized that suddenly he wanted to trust this boy. He wanted to believe him, even though he knew he shouldn't.  
  
But then trust required two.  
  
"Trowa," he whispered softly.  
  
Quatre blinked in confusion. "What?"  
  
"Trowa. You asked for my name. It's Trowa."  
  
"Trowa." Quatre repeated quietly, then a smile slid across his face and his entire expression seemed to brighten. "Thank you, Trowa."  
  
Trowa nodded once.  
  
"Does your friend have a name?"  
  
"If he wishes to tell you, he will."  
  
Quatre nodded. "I understand. But at least thank you for your trust."  
  
Trowa shook his head. "My name is merely a word, you do not have my trust."  
  
The blond boy's expression fell. "Oh."  
  
Turning away, Trowa headed back to the room where his brother lay. He left the blond boy to sigh softly and sit back down on the couch. It would take some work, but it was possible for the blond boy to gain his trust. He just wasn't sure it was a wise thing to give the boy. But then trust required two, and the boy had offered so much of his own trust all ready.  
  
**  
  
Duo sat silently as the blond doctor looked him over, a look of disgust crossing his face. Yet Duo remained silent as the old man poked and prodded him for check-up purposes. Finally he put away his tools and turned to speak to Milliardo and Quatre, who stood on the other side of the room.   
  
"Just buy him, did you?"  
  
Milliardo nodded. "Just today."  
  
"You better think of returning him, this here is damaged property and ain't worth much. He's defective thanks to that bump on his head. He won't be able to do anything for a while, much less get out of bed. You'd be better off shooting him and demanding a replacement."  
  
Duo glared at the doctor something fierce, but bit his tongue. He knew when to stay silent.  
  
"Will it heal?" Milliardo asked.  
  
The doctor glanced back at Duo. "Yes," he said slowly and with much thought. "If you can keep him in bed and get him to eat it'll take a month or so. Not worth your time, though, if you ask me-"  
  
"I didn't." Milliardo replied quickly, pushing a small amount of money into the man's hands.  
  
"Well then, I best be on my way then. Call me if there's any trouble, Sir Peacecraft. Nice doing business with you." The doctor let himself out and Quatre stepped out of the room, returning moments later with a very relieved looking Trowa.  
  
Duo crossed his arms and sat up in bed, glaring at the blond men. "So you going to shoot me or what?"  
  
Trowa's eyebrows went up in surprise and he fixed Milliardo an Quatre with a worried expression. No, they couldn't!  
  
Milliardo shook his head and ran a hand through his long hair. "No," he said softly. "We're not going to shoot anyone."  
  
"Why not?" Duo scoffed. "I'm worth more to you dead."  
  
"Duo!" Trowa scolded softly, wishing his brother would remain silent.  
  
Duo's eyes narrowed. "They don't keep me chained, so I'm free. I may not be able to leave this bed yet but I can still move my mouth and I plan to! You want me to shut up then you better cut off my tongue or shoot me right now!"  
  
Trowa bit his lip and watched the two blond men, afraid of what they would do in response. If Duo kept this up he was going to get himself killed!  
  
But instead Milliardo simply shook his head again, turning to his son. "Quatre, go get Heero. It's time we explain things."  
  
Quatre nodded and stepped out of the room. Trowa glanced warily at Milliardo as he moved to his brother's side and took a seat on the edge of the bed. Quatre returned a moment later and stopped at the door, looking and almost pleading with someone else just out of their sight. Milliardo frowned quietly.  
  
"Heero, will you step into the room please?"  
  
Quatre moved into the room, clearing the doorway. A second later another boy, about Quatre's age, stepped into the room. Unkept brown hair fell around his face and shaded his eyes. He wore simple clothing, simpler then the fancy clothing of Quatre and Milliardo, yet fancier then Duo and Trowa's. Duo narrowed his eyes at the boy.  
  
"What? Another slave?"  
  
Quatre flinched at Duo's words and harsh tone and looked away from the two sitting on the bed, yet the brown haired boy didn't respond.  
  
"Heero," Milliardo said softly. "Show them your eyes."  
  
The boy nodded and tilted his head up, the concealing bangs falling away to reveal creamy white skin that was so pale it had obviously never seen the light of day. Trowa and Duo both gasped quietly as a pair of bright cobalt blue eyes locked with their own. The brown haired boy before them had blue eyes and that could only mean one thing.   
  
"A fucking half-breed." Duo hissed.  
  
End of Part 1  



	3. Part 2

Part 2  
  
"A fucking half-breed." Duo hissed.  
  
Quatre shuddered and sniffed once, tears slipping down his face. The brown haired boy still didn't respond, he just kept his dead eyes on Duo and Trowa, watching them quietly.  
  
Duo glared angrily. "Is that what you want? Pity? Ha! Fat chance!"  
  
Heero closed his eyes and turned, leaving the room without saying a single word.  
  
Milliardo watched him leave quietly but instead went to his other son, placing a comforting embrace around Quatre. Quatre buried his face in his father's chest, sobbing softly.  
  
"Please try to understand," Milliardo said quietly.  
  
"Understand what? He's a fucking half-breed-"  
  
"And so am I!" Quatre cried angrily, pulling out of his father's arms and turning a tear streaked face to the two boys. "Do you think I like looking like this?! Looking exactly like the people who tortured and killed my mother? Do you think I like being associated with such people just because I look like them?"  
  
"Do you think we enjoy being chased down and chained up for our entire lives just because our hair and our eyes are a different color?!" Duo countered angrily.  
  
Quatre shook his head and ran out of the room, trying to wipe away his tears. Milliardo, Duo and Trowa were left in the room, sitting there without a word.  
  
Sighing softly Milliardo regarded the two boys; the angry Duo and his shocked and silent brother. "Please try to understand. I loved my wife; I didn't care what color her eyes or hair were. I loved her and I love my sons, despite what they look like. Please understand that because Heero looks like he does he can never step outside the house, any who saw him would kill him. I had hoped you two could help, could at least be someone for him to speak to. He can't live hidden his entire life and I'm in no position to change the world outside. I had hoped you, both of you, would become companions for them… possibly even friends."  
  
Duo turned his head away; looking from Milliardo and concentrating on the trees outside the window as the guilt flowed over him. Trowa watched quietly as the man sighed softly and left the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
Trowa turned his eyes to his brother, who was now sinking back into the bed, holding his head and moaning. "Duo…" he said softly.  
  
Duo winced and rolled over, closing his eyes and drawing in a shaky breath. "I know, I shouldn't have said those things but I… I couldn't help it Tro. I can't accept them, not any of them. Not after seeing what happened to our mother and knowing what happened to our father, not after that. I just can't."  
  
"I know," Trowa said softly. "It's hard to believe they could be so different. But it isn't impossible."  
  
Duo shook his head and pulled the covers tightly around himself. "Don't hope Trowa, hope only gets smashed and shattered. If you don't hope, they can't hurt us." Duo gave a low cough as he curled tightly into a small ball beneath the blankets.  
  
Trowa pushed the hair from his brother's face in a caring and comforting gesture. Standing up he sighed. He tucked the covers in around his brother and turned, quietly stepping out of the room.  
  
All around him the house was silent, as dead as the bright blue eyes of that boy. Trowa hugged himself as he walked through the empty halls, trying to make sense of his own feelings. He knew how his younger brother felt and he knew why, but he couldn't figure out his own feelings.   
  
Was he angry? Jealous? Hateful? Forgiving? Trusting?  
  
Trowa paused and leaned against the wall, covering his face with his hand. Trusting? He wanted to trust them; he wanted to trust Quatre and his family, especially now that he saw the reason for their strange actions. He wanted to trust them and to feel safe in this house, but he couldn't, he just couldn't. Living an entire life and being taught to hate those with blond hair and now being expected to trust them? He couldn't, no matter how much he wanted to.  
  
Beyond him he heard a soft sound. Trowa glanced up and found a door sitting open leading to a sparsely decorated room. Peeking in he found Quatre sitting on the bed, hugging his knees with his face buried from sight. Trowa stood frozen in the door, unsure what to do.  
  
He knew he saw Quatre in a completely different light now. He couldn't even begin to imagine how tortured Quatre felt about the world, knowing he was a half-breed and yet couldn't tell anyone. To see the hate that was directed at his mother's people and indirectly toward him, it must be horrible.   
  
Taking a deep breath he stepped into the room. "Quatre?" he spoke softly.  
  
The boy stopped sniffling and slowly looked up, revealing red eyes and a tear streaked face. The miserable look on Quatre's face stabbed into Trowa's heart and he immediately wanted to comfort the boy, despite their differences, yet he still couldn't bring himself to completely trust the boy.  
  
Quatre sniffled once more and wiped away his remaining tears, making an effort to pull himself together now that someone was watching him.  
  
Trowa moved to the edge of the bed, but couldn't move any closer; he was still too afraid and unsure. "About what Duo said-"  
  
"No, don't apologize for him." Quatre replied quietly. "You don't need to. He has a right to be mad at us, it's not his fault, its just…" Quatre's voice cracked and he buried his head once more, dropping into soft sobs.  
  
Sitting slowly on the bed Trowa tentatively reached forward and placed his arms around the sobbing boy. The movement was slow and hesitant at first, but eventually he let go of some of his fear and allowed himself to touch the boy, in an attempt to offer comfort. Neither boy really thought about their next moves but Quatre uncurled himself and crawled into Trowa's arms. He buried his face in Trowa's shirt and grasped tightly at the fabric, holding tightly onto Trowa as he let the tears completely release. His boy shook and trembled from the crying, making Trowa only want to hold him tighter. Tears stained the front of Trowa's shirt but neither cared, Quatre only seemed happy to finally just have someone hold him.  
  
Trowa held the trembling boy much the way he'd held Duo on the dark nights when they were hiding alone. He stroked the boy's soft hair and held him tightly, waiting for him to calm down and giving him all the time in the world.  
  
The boys sat there quietly, one soothing the other. Eventually Quatre's sobs died out and he simply clung to Trowa, not wanting to let go. After a long and comforting silence Quatre lifted his head and glanced up into Trowa's eyes.   
  
As simple as the movement was it seemed to break a spell. Trowa's eyes widened as he realized who was in his arms and he shivered once. Unwrapping his arms from Quatre he pulled away, leaving the boy to sit in confusion on the bed. Turning away completely Trowa looked to the floor and shut his eyes, waiting for the blow and punishment he knew would follow his actions. He hadn't been thinking! What in the world did he think he was doing touching a blond? What had possessed him? He should have minded his own business and never even stepped into the room!  
  
"Trowa?"  
  
"I'm sorry," Trowa whispered softly.  
  
"Oh no! Don't apologize," Quatre moved toward the older boy and placed a hand on his shoulder. Trowa winced slightly at his touch but otherwise didn't move. "You don't need to apologize and please don't turn away like that, I swear I'd never hurt you. Trowa?"  
  
Swallowing his fear Trowa let his eyes move toward the boy, but quickly diverted them after seeing the sad expression on Quatre's face. He was still afraid, he just couldn't help it. Drawing in a shuddering breath he tried to gather his courage. "I didn't mean to."  
  
A confused look crossed Quatre's face. "Didn't mean to what? Comfort me until I stopped crying?"  
  
Trowa shook his head. "I shouldn't have… touched you," he whispered.  
  
"Trowa, Trowa please look at me."  
  
Trowa brought his eyes up to meet Quatre's.  
  
"Please trust me."  
  
Trowa closed his eyes and breathed for a moment, then opened them to look back into Quatre's eyes. "I… I'm trying."  
  
A small smile graced Quatre's features and he nodded. "Thank you."  
  
The emerald eyed boy nodded, unsure what to say. Not really sure if he could trust his voice. All he knew was that he was happy to see the boy smiling at him, happy to know that he had banished the tears, if only momentarily, from this boy's shining eyes.  
  
Quatre reached forward and placed his hand over Trowa's, just letting his hand rest there quietly. Moving close to Trowa, until they sat side by side on the edge of the bed and their shoulders touched, he smiled softly.   
  
"If anyone should apologize it should be me. I shouldn't have crawled into your arms like that without asking. It's just that I haven't had anyone hold me like that since my mother died. I guess I didn't realize until now how much I missed her embrace."  
  
"How old were you when she… died?" Trowa asked softly.  
  
"Only five years, Heero was six. That's when he stopped smiling."  
  
Trowa glanced at the boy, studying the profile of Quatre's face. His expression was sad, his eyes distant as he thought of ancient memories. Blinking Trowa was greeted with an image of the expression that had been on Duo's face the night they found out their mother wouldn't be returning to them. He pushed the image away and stood up. "I… I should go check on Duo."  
  
Quatre nodded. "Good night then, Trowa."  
  
Walking toward the door Trowa paused only as he heard Quatre's soft murmured words.   
  
"Thank you."  
  
Trowa flashed a timid smile to the boy, then left, heading for his own brother's room.  
  
Stepping inside he shut the door and leaned against it, letting his mind calm down in the dark room. Covering his face in his hands he listened to the soft sounds of his brother breathing, the comforting sound he'd fallen asleep to for most of the years of his life. In the dark places which they'd hidden in, the even breathing from Duo while he slept was one of Trowa's few comforts. A constant reminder that one member of his family still lived, despite the world's seemingly constant attempts to hunt them down.   
  
On shaking steps Trowa crossed the room, settling down in the chair next to Duo's bed. Leaning forward he laid his head next to his brother's and closed his eyes, for a long time he just lay there, listening to his brother breathe.  
  
What's wrong with me? he thought. I don't understand any of this. Quatre's trying so hard and yet I still don't know if I can trust him.   
  
"I want to so much," he whispered softly.  
  
Opening his eyes he gazed at Duo's peaceful expression, innocent as that of a new born child. His brother had such a peaceful face when he wasn't full of anger or fear; it was an expression that he'd seen so rarely when Duo was awake.  
  
"Perhaps the running is finally over."  
  
Almost as if in response, Duo crinkled his nose in his sleep and pulled the covers closer around his body. Trowa closed his eyes sadly and relaxed, waiting for sleep to find him in darkness.  
  
No matter how much he wanted to believe the running was over, part of him just couldn't. This all just seemed far too good to be true.   
  
**  
  
Warm sunlight danced across Duo's face and he yawned, blinking his eyes open in surprise. Sunlight? They never hid where sunlight would hit them, that was like inviting people to find them. He sat up quickly and looked around in a panic, then collapsed back into the bed as his head spun and his stomach lurched. Closing his eyes he forced himself to calm down and think rationally.  
  
Waiting until he'd calmed down he allowed his eyes to open again and take in his surroundings. Slowly he began to remember the events of the day before. Being caught, being forced into a cage and then being bought by a very strange pair of blonds, who claimed they were trustworthy. Duo laughed bitterly at the thought; there was no way it could be true. Rolling over in the bed he faced the empty chair he knew his brother had used to sleep on.  
  
Trowa always slept next to him at night, more for safety's sake then anything else. Yet he wasn't surprised to find the chair empty, nor to find himself alone in the room. He knew Trowa was nearby, his brother never left him unprotected if he could help it.  
  
Forcing himself to sit up in the bed he glanced to the door, surprised to find it open and that quiet boy standing there with a tray of plates. Duo raised an eyebrow at the boy as he entered. What was his name? Heero? Duo watched silently as Heero entered the room and set the tray down at the end of the bed. Pulling off the cover he revealed large amounts of food and Duo couldn't help but stare. He'd never seen so much delicious looking food in his life.  
  
"Wow, that looks good!"  
  
"It's yours."  
  
Duo glanced to the boy, who had taken the chair which Trowa had sat in. Heero sat there silently, just watching Duo with a blank expression. Duo watched him closing and reached for the food, snatching at a piece of bread. The boy didn't respond so he took a large bite, and nearly choked in surprise. This was bread?! It was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted!  
  
Without another word Duo proceeded to work his way through the large pile of food, trying at least one bite of everything and loving every second of it. Soon he was smiling and nearly forgot about his aching head and the fact that he and his brother had been bought. He just grinned and ate the food, happy that for once in a long time he'd have a full stomach and he knew he would sleep well the next night.  
  
"You don't have to eat all of it," Heero said. "Don't make yourself sick."  
  
Duo paused in the middle of biting into a soft fruit and looked at the boy. "I was always taught to eat when there was food in front of me, 'cuz next time there might not be any."  
  
Heero shook his head. "We have a whole kitchen downstairs. Filled with food, for whenever you get hungry."  
  
"Really?" Duo felt like a child when he blurted that word out. Of course they had a huge kitchen with limitless food, he was in the house of blonds after all. Still, he'd never had a chance to see a kitchen, gaining his food from the woods themselves or stealing them from passing carriage or breaking into houses. He'd never really had the chance to consider how those with blond hair went about getting their food. All he really knew was that they had had food and he hadn't. And now he did… or so Heero said.  
  
"So next time I get hungry there will be more?"  
  
Heero nodded. "All you have to do is tell us."  
  
Duo glanced at the large portions of food left on the tray and finished off the fruit in his hand. Leaning back he pushed the tray away, realizing that he was quite full and if he ate any more he probably would burst, or get sick. Smiling he stretched out his arms and gave a loud yawn. "Man, I don't think my stomach has been this full since the day I was born! I could definitely get used to this."  
  
Heero said nothing.  
  
Violet eyes flickered to the silent boy next to him and the grin melted off Duo's face. He turned and looked at the boy, trying to search for some emotion in his expression, but couldn't find any. It would make things so much easier if this boy were angry at him. Anger and hate he could deal with, but blankness? That wasn't something he was used to, and it certainly didn't fit the boy sitting before him.  
  
"About last night… about the things I said… well, um, I didn't mean it."  
  
Heero's expression didn't change. "Yes you did."  
  
He didn't expect those words, and he certainly didn't expect them in such a matter-of-fact tone. Duo shrugged, deciding to try again. "Yeah, ok, so maybe I did. But, still, I shouldn't have called you that."  
  
"There's no shame in calling me what I am."  
  
Duo frowned deeply. "Would you stop countering me like it doesn't make any difference?! I'm trying to apologize here!" He sighed, still in wonderment that the boy wasn't reacting at all to his words, simply watching him with that damnable blank expression. "I shouldn't have acted like that and blamed you for something you didn't have control over. You don't get to pick who your parents are so it isn't your fault. Look, what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry, ok?"  
  
Heero nodded.  
  
"But I still don't trust your family and I'm still going to run away as soon as I can get out of this bed." Duo said, turning away from Heero and peering out the window.  
  
Heero followed Duo's gaze and stood up, walking to the window Duo was looking out. Moving silently he unlatched the hook and pushed the windows open, letting the sounds from outside seep into the room. Turning he looked right at Duo and walked over to the boy, offering him his hand.  
  
Duo frowned. "Are you taunting me?"  
  
"No."  
  
"You're offering to help me escape?"  
  
Heero nodded. "No one wants to be locked up in this house."  
  
Duo mouth dropped open and he just stared at the boy. What the heck was going on?! He gives him all this food and then opens the window offering to help him escape, just like an innocent child letting a bird out of its cage. Did Heero have any concept of what the word slave meant? Of what it meant to be bought and to be sitting in this very house? Did he have any idea of what exactly would happen if anyone caught Duo racing away from the house? He didn't seem to understand that Duo couldn't leave.  
  
Well, wait, he thought. Why can't I leave? Why can't I just stand up now and accept this boys help, running away from this house and escaping back into the places where I would be safe? He shook his head.  
  
"No, that's ok. I can't get out of the bed here anyway, I wouldn't make it very far with the way my head is messed up."  
  
Heero blinked. "I could get your brother and he could help you."  
  
Duo laughed softly and shook his head. "No, no don't. I can't leave, I'd be too much of a burden. So I guess I might as well stay here until my head fixes itself and I can walk again. Though, if I get to eat like this every day I may consider never leaving again." He cracked a grin in Heero's direction.  
  
The boy didn't respond, he only reached forward and pulled the windows shut once more, but didn't redo the lock. Duo was astounded at the amazing amount of trust the boy had just placed in him. He'd left the window unlocked, so if Duo really wanted to he could still leave. What in the world was the matter with this boy? Why was he acting so strange?  
  
"Do they really keep you locked in this house?" Duo asked as Heero sat down, once again, in the empty chair.  
  
Heero shook his head. "I can't leave the house. If anyone saw me they would kill me and my family."  
  
Duo brought up his knees under the blankets and leaned on them. "What do you do all day? Don't you get bored? I can't see how you can just sit around in this house doing nothing when the world is right outside the window where you can see it."  
  
"My room doesn't have any windows."  
  
Duo blinked in confusion. "Why not?"  
  
Heero turned away and shrugged. "I like the dark."  
  
"You like… the dark?" Duo repeated softly. "What about people? Who else do you talk to beside your family? Do people come and visit?"  
  
Heero shook his head.  
  
"Doesn't anyone else live in this house?"  
  
"You and Trowa do," Heero said without looking back at Duo.  
  
Duo's mouth formed a large O. He and Trowa were the first people this boy had talked to in most of his life? That's what Milliardo had said the night before but it hadn't really stuck in Duo's mind, not until this boy stated it plainly. Duo frowned as he looked at the boy, watching those bright blue eyes as they stared off into nothing, dreaming and thinking about something he couldn't possibly understand.   
  
Duo had always felt he was alone, more so since his mother and father died, but at least he'd always had Trowa to comfort him. This boy... Heero lived in a huge house with only two other people. Two other people that were related to him but actually looked nothing like him or his mother, so he probably didn't really think of them as family. And there was no one else in this house? Ever? Duo was willing to bet that every once in a while Milliardo had to entertain guests, let others into the house. What happened to Heero then? Was he locked away in his room, in the darkness he claimed to like, as the people chatted noisily down the hall? Duo couldn't even begin to imagine the way Heero must have felt.  
  
And now he didn't want to leave. He didn't want to be responsible for condemning this boy to loneliness again in his dark room. He didn't want to abandon him, and in a way he felt a strange sort of kinship for the half-breed sitting next to him. Duo smiled lightly at the boy and Heero turned his head, watching Duo with a mildly confused expression.  
  
"Yeah, I guess we do."  
  
Heero still looked confused.  
  
"I guess we do live here now."  
  
Heero's eyes widened just the smallest bit at Duo's words and Duo could have sworn he saw the edge of the boy's mouth try to tug into a smile. But Heero didn't smile, instead he simply nodded and stood up, picking up the tray from the edge of the bed and covering it once more. Duo watched as Heero left the room, neither saying a word. Though as soon as the boy was gone Duo smacked himself in the head.  
  
"What the heck am I saying? I just agreed to stay in this house and be a slave? Duo, that stupid guard must have hit you harder then you thought!"   
  
Though, as he lay back down in the bed and rolled on his side to gaze out the window at the trees and yard beyond he couldn't help but smile. He knew what he said to Heero was true, he did mean to stay, at least for a while anyway. He knew he couldn't abandon the other silent boy, not now that he knew what kind of life he'd lead until this point. Duo may have hated blonds but he wasn't heartless, and he'd give up his freedom in a second if it meant he could help another achieve their freedom. And that's what he was going to do.  
  
He was going to stay so Heero could be free.  
  
End of part 2  



	4. Part 3

Part 3  
  
A month passed after that without incident. The doctor was called upon again and he reported that Duo was moving quickly along the road to recovery, though not quite there yet. After complimenting Milliardo on his excellent care of his slaves, though not understanding why he was being so kind, the doctor collected his large sum of money and left. Though not before he recommended shooting Duo again, this time saying that the boy would get used to being pampered and become lazy.  
  
The doctor didn't notice the entire family glaring at him with anger as he left.  
  
So everything would be fine with Duo and he was finally able to get out of that bed, which was basically driving him up the wall. Still, his strength wasn't back to full and he still slept for most of the day and night, spending his waking hours eating with a silent Heero sitting by his side. Occasionally he'd get out of the bed and stumble down the halls on his own, trying to get used to walking again, but never strayed far from his room just in case.  
  
Strangely he saw less and less of his brother, Trowa.  
  
While Duo was healing and re-teaching himself how to walk after being in bed so long Trowa let himself became completely consumed by his thoughts. Since there were no complaints he spent hours on end just wandering around the house pondering their current situation. He was still trying to decide if it was wise to stay now that Duo was almost back to normal. When Duo completely healed would Milliardo's and Quatre's reactions to the two boys change? Would they change their minds about Duo and Trowa being their slaves? He didn't want to believe that either would do such a thing but he couldn't dismiss the possibility.  
  
Despite his doubts about Milliardo's sincerity he'd pretty much stopped doubting Quatre. It wasn't just wishful thinking that made him come to trust the boy, though he was sure that had made a significant difference, it was also many of the things that had happened over the last month. After the incident with Quatre crying in Trowa's arms Trowa felt a small need to protect the boy from the people outside the house. He didn't want anyone to mistreat the blond half-breed.   
  
Quatre had also opened up to him more. They'd spent many a night sitting in Quatre's room after the sunset just talking about nothing in particular. Trowa figured it was mostly Quatre trying to make him feel more comfortable about talking but the conversations also played another role. Slowly, Quatre revealed most of the things that had happened in his life.  
  
He explained how his mother had originally been a birthday gift to his father, a personal slave for Milliardo when he turned 18 and became a man. Milliardo had detested the gift but soon found himself falling in love with the slave women. Apparently the two became lovers and hid the fact from their family. The hiding and secrecy was fine until many years later, after Quatre and Heero had been born, that a relative was staying over night. The relative had accidentally come upon Milliardo and his slave-wife sleeping together and freaked.  
  
Within a day Quatre's mother had been accused of forcing herself upon Milliardo, despite all protests. In the end she'd begged Milliardo to let her be taken away, in order to keep her sons a secret from the world and keep them safe. The last time Quatre and Heero saw her they were standing in a window, their hands clenched together in fear, as she was pulled out of the house, chained and tossed into the back of a wagon.   
  
Aside from the nighttime talks and memories the two boys spent little time together. They often passed each other in the hallway where Quatre would smile brightly at Trowa and Trowa couldn't help but flash a small smile back. He didn't understand it at all. He couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled, not since his own mother had been alive.   
  
Trowa paused in his thoughts and in the hallway, leaning back against the wall. He was so unsure now as to what he should do. He knew that Duo would be well soon and would want to leave. But he wondered if it actually wouldn't just be safer for them to stay here? It was safe in this house, and perhaps one of the best places they could find to hide. If they stayed they certainly wouldn't need to run anymore would they? But in order to stay here he had to find out if he could trust Milliardo and his family. He trusted Quatre, but the others? He just wasn't sure.  
  
"There's no way we can avoid it this time, is there?"  
  
Trowa's ears perked up as he heard Quatre's voice from the room on the other side of the wall. Making sure he was standing out of sight he continued to listen to the conversation taking place.  
  
"Not this time. Treize was very insistent that I've put him off long enough. We're going to have to invite him over for dinner, along with his daughter. And you know what will happen if we set and serve the table." Milliardo sighed. "I wish I knew a way around this, but I can think of none."  
  
Trowa stepped around the wall, into the room where they could see him. Quatre looked up almost immediately and blinked at him. Taking a deep breath Trowa steadied himself for what he was about to agree to do. It scared him that he actually considered it, yet at the same time it also showed just how much he wanted to trust them.  
  
"You need a servant for the meal, don't you?" He asked softly, his eyes fixed on the carpet. He may be able to meet Quatre's eyes every once in a while but he still couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with Milliardo, least not yet.  
  
Quatre jumped up from his seat in anger. "Absolutely not! I will not let you feed Treize's fantasies about our family being as disgusting as his!"  
  
"Quatre," Milliardo spoke shortly, almost in a scolding tone. Quatre sighed and dropped back into his seat, calming down. Meanwhile his father looked back at Trowa. "You know what you're offering?"  
  
Trowa nodded. "I'll wear a collar for the night and act as your slave," he paused to steady his voice once more, he could tell it was close to shaking. "When?"  
  
"Tonight."  
  
Trowa swallowed hard, gathering his courage and determination. Yes, he could do this. A shiver ran over his body but he forced himself to look up. He made eye contact with both men, and forced himself not to look away. "I'll do it. For one night."  
  
"Trowa…" Quatre whispered softly.  
  
Milliardo nodded and stood up. Walking over to Trowa he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, I know how hard this is for you." From his pocket he pulled out a collar made of dark green leather, with metal studs decorating the edges.   
  
Taking a deep breath once more Trowa nodded. He moved his hand timidly and finally wrapped it around the collar which Milliardo held out. Taking the collar from the tall blond man, Trowa fastened it around his own neck with surprisingly steady hands. Closing his eyes he looked away from Milliardo, knowing that since he was playing the part he had to play it fully. He couldn't meet their eyes now.  
  
"Thank you," Milliardo said once more. Then he turned and left the room, heading away down the hall.  
  
Quatre stood up and approached Trowa as he stood there, his head tilted down in a submissive pose. "I'm sorry," the blond boy said.  
  
Trowa shook his head, but didn't look up. He was trying to get himself used to being a slave once more. "Don't be. I can do this, for one night."  
  
Quatre stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Trowa tightly. "Thank you," he whispered softly into Trowa's ear. But Trowa forced himself not to raise his arms around Quatre, to embrace him back. Instead he took a step back and pulled out of Quatre's embrace. The blond boy looked scared for a moment, scared he'd lost all the ground the two had covered in the last month, but that fear soon disappeared.  
  
"I understand," he murmured. "If you're going to do this you have to play the part fully, right?"  
  
Trowa nodded.  
  
"Ok, then I'll do my best in this act too… for tonight."  
  
Trowa glanced up for a second and they two flashed grateful smiles in each other's directions.  
  
**  
  
Duo sighed and sat up in bed, his stomach growling. He was hungry. Swinging his feet around in bed he pulled a robe around his body, tying it off over the loose pair of pants he'd been wearing. Walking slow steps and staying near the wall, in case a wave of dizziness hit him since he wasn't completely healed, he headed for the door.   
  
From down the hallway he could hear voices, talking back and forth about unimportant things. He frowned when he realized those voices were in the direction of the kitchen. Hadn't Trowa said something to him about other people being in the house tonight and that he should stay in his room for everyone's sake? Duo frowned deeply.  
  
After a moment's thought he started down the hall, walking slowly as he dragged one arm across the wall for support. He knew how to be silent, the others in the house would have no idea he was even there. He would just step into the kitchen, grab a small bite to eat and then be out before the guests could get in another forced laugh. No problem.  
  
Well, at least it wouldn't have been a problem had he not seen who was serving the table. Duo stepped into the kitchen and froze as he found himself facing his older brother. Yet it wasn't the fact that it was Trowa that surprised him. It was the fact that Trowa's face was down turned and he was wearing a dark leather collar around his neck. Duo's eyes widened and he took a step back shaking his head.  
  
Trowa looked up in surprise and quickly put his finger to his lips in a motion for silence.  
  
"Trowa! What the-" Duo kept his voice at a whisper, but the panic and confusion was very apparent. Trowa quickly set down the tray he was holding and grabbed his brother's shoulders, shaking him slightly until he calmed down.  
  
"Its alright," he whispered. "I agreed to this, just for tonight. I had to. They couldn't keep these people away any longer, so I agreed to play the part for the night."  
  
Duo stared at his brother in disbelief. Slowly his eyes narrowed and he shoved Trowa away, backwards where he caught himself on the table. "And next time?" Duo hissed softly. "What will it take for you to agree next time? Will you put on the collar the next time some one comes over for a visit? How about when Milliardo's too lazy to get his dinner? How about when Quatre wants a backrub? How about when they drop a glass of water?"  
  
"Duo!" Trowa struggled to keep his voice down. The sound had faded from the dining room and he could practically see them straining to listen. "Duo, please. I'll explain later. Please just go back to your room."  
  
Duo's eyes narrowed dangerously as his brother reached for him. And then, without any warning he swung at Trowa, hitting the boy squarely in the shoulder. Trowa stumbled back into the wall and caught himself just before pulling down a shelf of cook pots and pans.  
  
"Traitor," Duo spit out.  
  
Trowa flinched like he'd been slapped as his brother turned on his heals and stomped out of the room. As he pulled himself up off the floor and scurried to grab the tray of food he was going to bring out to the dining room he could hear Duo's retreating steps. His brother was running down the hall. The sound of Duo's receding footsteps tugged at Trowa's heart and his eyes burned.   
  
But there was no helping it. He couldn't do anything about it now, not while those two guests were out in the other room. He'd just have to wait until later to speak with Duo and explain everything. Yet as he walked into the other room with the tray, his eyes focused on the floor, he could still hear Duo yelling at him.  
  
Traitor.  
  
That word coming from Duo's mouth hurt more then any physical blow ever could.  
  
**  
  
Duo angrily blinked away the tears as he raced down the hallway, ignoring everything but his own seething hatred and sense of betrayal. He didn't pay attention to what halls he was turning down, only that he was running and he wanted to get away. The rhythm of his feet hitting the ground was almost comforting, reminding him of before they'd be captured and bought. True, he'd never really enjoyed all the running, but he'd become accustomed to it and now it helped to calm him, much the way a rocking chair puts a baby to sleep.  
  
He didn't know how long he ran, only that he quickly ran out of breath and stumbled on the uneven rug at his feet. Arms flailing he caught himself on a closed door before his face slammed into the floor. Dropping to the ground in an exhausted heap he leaned back against the door and hugged his knees.   
  
His legs throbbed and he took deep breaths, all the while cursing himself for growing so soft from lying in that bed for so long. Had he run like that before he'd been caught he never would have tripped. You don't trip when your life depends on it. Out there tripping meant you get caught and you die. You don't trip.  
  
Duo shook his head madly and wiped away the last of the tears with an angry fist. He couldn't believe it! His own brother had betrayed him! He could have understood, maybe, if Milliardo had forced Trowa to wear the collar, holding something over his head and forcing him to be a slave. He could have dealt with that, easily. But Trowa willingly putting on a collar to pretend to be the very thing they'd tried to escape all their lives? How could he?!  
  
Duo slammed his fist into the floor, taking out his anger on whatever was the closest. He just couldn't believe his brother would do such a thing.  
  
"Damn it Trowa! How could you!?"  
  
Leaning forward he buried his face in between his knees and attempted to swallow the sobs pulling at him. He couldn't help it, he felt like he'd just lost another family member. He knew that he was overreacting but he couldn't help it! He just couldn't believe that Trowa would agree to such a thing.  
  
Behind him, the door he was leaning on, slowly slid open. Yet Duo's back wasn't against it any more so he didn't really notice. And when he did notice he didn't really care, all he could think about was how his brother had betrayed him. What was he supposed to do now? He'd never been alone before. He wasn't sure if he could survive alone, out there.  
  
"Duo?"  
  
Duo slowly lifted his head and turned. He found himself facing a completely dark room and Heero standing in the doorway, squinting at the light. Duo frowned and looked away, pulling his knees closer. He didn't feel like talking to Heero and he wasn't about to. This whole situation was messed up and as soon as he pulled himself back together he was getting out of here, leaving.  
  
Curious, Heero knelt down beside the silent huddling boy and watched him quietly. Pulling up his own knees he copied Duo's pose, except he set the side of his face on his own knee, watching Duo in silence.  
  
"Go away," Duo murmured, not lifting his face.  
  
"You knocked on my door," Heero replied in his flat voice.  
  
Duo glanced up at him, then turned and looked back into the dark room behind him. He had to squint and still he could barely see inside. Not only were there no windows but everything seemed to be colored black, so there was no light whatsoever. Forgetting his current worries he stood up and stepped timidly into the room.  
  
"This is your room?"  
  
Heero stood up and walked past him into the room, moving through the darkness with out the slightest bit of hesitation. There was a soft click and a small lamp turned on in the corner of the room. The small area was filled with a dusty yellowish light, showing everything off in its dreary form.  
  
Duo found himself standing in a very barren room. A single, old mattress lay in the corner, pushed up against the wall with two old patchwork quilts. Other then that and the lamp there was only one other thing in the room, a shelf of books. All the books were dusty and old, very well read. Duo stepped over to the books and frowned as his eyes scanned the foreign words.  
  
"You… you read these?"  
  
Heero nodded. "Some are good, some are bad." He picked one up and handed it to Duo.   
  
Shaking his head Duo pushed it away. "I can't." He swallowed. "I never learned how."  
  
Heero watched him for a moment then nodded once more in understanding, and set the book back in its place. Meanwhile Duo turned to the bed and the pile of neatly folded clothes lying beside the bed which he hadn't noticed before. Taking slow steps he walked up to the lamp and wiped a finger across it, coming away with a thick layer of dust.  
  
"You don't use this light much, do you?"  
  
"I like the dark."  
  
Duo glanced over his shoulder at the quiet boy standing by his bookshelf. "How do you live in this room? Why do you live in this room? I mean your house is full of all these really rich things and yet you live in this room? Why?" Duo paused. "Do they make you?"  
  
Heero quickly shook his head. "No. I choose to live like this."  
  
"But why?"  
  
The blue eyed crossbreed looked away, his eyes slightly glazing over. "It's easier. I'll never envy them if I never experience what they have." Heero leaned against the wall; his face still turned away from Duo. "You can't miss what you never had."  
  
Duo shut his eyes and sat down on the edge of Heero's mattress. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Before your father bought me I'd never slept in a real bed. Truth be told I still don't know if it's more comfortable then the ground outside, but I did like sleeping in it. Its gonna be hard when I leave."  
  
Heero turned his face toward Duo but didn't say anything. Still, his expression communicated his thoughts enough. He didn't have to say the words for Duo to know what he was thinking. Heero was worried about Duo leaving. Duo almost hit himself, he'd forgotten that he'd promise the boy he would stay with him. He felt like such an idiot for stepping back on that promise. But at the same time…  
  
"Heero, I can't stay."  
  
Heero didn't respond, only watched Duo silently.  
  
"I…" Duo faltered and held out his hands in a helpless gesture. "I want to stay here, really. Your house is great, but I can't live like this. I can't live in a place like this where I'm supposed to be a slave. It doesn't matter how much they claim they won't ever make me wear a collar, I can't live in a place where I'm always afraid I'll still become a slave."  
  
Slowly, Heero nodded. He seemed to understand Duo's reasoning, but it still hurt. He turned away from the boy sitting on his bed and faced the wall, closing his eyes and taking comfort in the darkness which covered his vision.  
  
Behind him Duo stood up, feeling even worse. Moving forward he placed a hand on Heero's shoulder, not sure what else to do. Then, without much thought, he wrapped his arms around Heero's shoulders and hugged him tightly, resting his head on the boy's shoulder. He realized as soon as his arms circled around Heero that his self was actually the one who wanted to be held, but he still took comfort from the fact that Heero didn't push him away. In fact the silent half-breed seemed to lean ever so slightly into the embrace. Duo hugged tighter.  
  
"I'm sorry," he whispered softly in Heero's ear. "But I can't stay."  
  
Both boys stood there silently like that for a long time; Heero wrapped in Duo's trembling embrace. Finally Duo pulled away and turned for the door, his head hung in guilt and shame. He didn't want to leave. He didn't want to leave Heero or Trowa, but he knew he had to. He knew he could never sleep soundly in this house again, especially not after seeing his brother with that collar around his neck.  
  
As he reached the door for Heero's room and was about to step out into the hallway he heard movement.  
  
"Take me with you."  
  
End of part 3  



	5. Part 4

  
Part 4  
  
"Take me with you."  
  
Duo froze. Glancing over his shoulder he regarded the boy standing behind him, watching him with soft and pleading eyes. Duo swallowed and turned around to face him. "Take you with?" he repeated softly in wonder.  
  
Heero nodded.   
  
"But your family… you have a place to live here, where you're safe. Why would you want to come with me? Why would you give up this for a life where you would be hiding all the time, running day in and day out? Never staying in one place…" Duo's sentence dropped off as he realized he wasn't really just asking Heero those questions, he was asking them of himself as well. Why would he leave this house? He was safe here. But he knew he couldn't stay, not after what he'd seen.  
  
"Please," was all Heero said, pleading in a soft voice.  
  
"I…" Duo faltered, not sure what to say.  
  
Heero stepped forward and locked eyes with Duo. "You can't go alone, you aren't well enough. I can't live here alone. I want to get out of here, where I'm not locked in this room. I'm only endangering them; if I leave they can look like a normal family and be safe. You said you'd stay with me, and if you can't stay here then the only solution is for me to go with you."  
  
Duo blinked. Heero had a very good point, in fact he had a lot of really good points and Duo couldn't see a single flaw in his logic. He couldn't come up with any reason for Heero not to come. Not to mention that he wanted Heero to come with him since the boy had suggested it. It solved his own fear of running alone and having no one to hold or hold him at night while they shivered in fear of being found.   
  
Stepping forward and taking a deep breath Duo placed a hand on Heero's shoulder. "All right. Then we leave tonight, after the guests in the dining room leave. Can you be ready to go then?"  
  
Heero nodded.  
  
"Meet me in my room after they leave. I… I'll make sure Trowa is gone."  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow in question but didn't say anything. He had no idea what had happened between the two brothers but now was not the time to ask. Whatever it was it wasn't his business and beside that fact he'd noticed that his brother, Quatre, had taken to liking the emerald eyed boy. Whatever Trowa decided to do after Duo left was his decision. Though, he decided he would leave a note on his bed, explaining they had both left together and make sure the others didn't come looking for them.  
  
Heero nodded and the two boys parted to prepare for the night. Turning back to his room Heero regarded his surroundings with a critical eye. Deciding what he might need he changed the clothes he was wearing and began packing a few things in a small bag.  
  
**  
  
Trowa did a pretty good job of keeping himself together throughout the rest of the dinner. He hadn't even lost his temper when Treize's daughter, Dorothy, had deliberately tripped him and laughed as he stumbled to the ground and dropped his tray. He'd remained silent as Treize and Dorothy treated him with absolutely no respect, and he'd kept his head down, avoiding eye contact with all of those at the table.  
  
But after the dinner ended and Dorothy and Treize left Trowa began to fall apart. Carrying one of the last trays from the kitchen full of dirty dishes to be washed he found his hands starting to shake. The trembling flowed through his body in a thick wave and the tray fell out of his hands, shattering across the floor in a loud crash. His entire body shook and he hugged himself, silent tears leaking from his eyes. As Quatre raced into the kitchen behind him Trowa's knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground, just shaking and hugging himself.  
  
"Trowa?!" Quatre raced over to him in a panic and quickly wrapped his arms around the boy. Pulling him up he held the trembling boy to his chest, trying to calm him down as his mind flew. What had made Trowa fall apart like this? He'd seemed fine during the dinner, so what went wrong? Quatre bit his lip and held the boy tightly as Trowa wrapped his arms around him, crying into his shoulder with soft hick-upping sobs.  
  
Milliardo stepped into the kitchen a second later and his eyes widened.  
  
"Quatre? What happened?"  
  
"I don't know. I was standing outside in the dinning room and I heard a crash and I found him like this. I don't know what happened." Quatre's voice was high with panic and worry as he held the boy.  
  
Milliardo knelt next to Trowa and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder while Quatre ran his fingers through Trowa's hair in a soothing gesture.  
  
"Trowa," Quatre spoke softly in his ear. "Trowa, please, tell us what happened. Trowa, please."  
  
Milliardo's fingers reached forward and he quickly undid the collar from Trowa's neck, tossing it angrily across the room. He was going to apologize for making Trowa feel like it had been something he needed to agree to but he was stopped as Trowa choked out a few words.  
  
"Duo… he saw…" Trowa's body shook as he tried to swallow his sobs. "Said I was… traitor…"  
  
Quatre's jaw dropped open and his eyes widened. "Oh stars," he whispered.  
  
"He saw you wearing the collar and called you a traitor?" Milliardo asked.  
  
Trowa nodded but didn't let go of Quatre; he actually clutched the boy tighter, desperate for comfort from the small blond boy.  
  
"Father?" Quatre watched his father stand up and head out of the room.   
  
"I'm going to find Duo, I have a bad feeling about how the boy reacted. Don't worry, I'll be back. Just stay here with him." Milliardo raced out of the room, and as he went out of sight they could hear him scolding himself for giving into Treize's constant pestering. If he hadn't given in this wouldn't have happened.  
  
Quatre turned his attention back to Trowa; once again moving his finger's through Trowa's hair while his other hand rubbed Trowa's back. Slowly the boy in his arms began to calm down, the tears fading away and the sobbing dropping to small hick-ups. Trowa's almost choking grip around Quatre's waist loosened and finally he just let himself lay in Quatre's arms, silently taking comfort in the boy's soothing actions.  
  
The room was filled with complete silence as the two boys sat there, holding each other. Trowa managed to gain back his rational mind and found he truly was taking comfort in Quatre's arms. He also made the remarkable discovery that he felt safe and protected in the blonde's arms. He knew he could trust Quatre, would trust Quatre with his life. He wasn't sure how he realized it or what it was based on, he just knew he could trust the boy.   
  
But all moments of trust and comfort were shattered as Milliardo stepped back into the kitchen about half an hour later. He held in his hands a small sheet of paper and a solemn look upon his face. Both boys looked up in worry as he passed the note to Trowa.  
  
Trowa squinted at the note and wiped the last moisture from his eyes. He frowned deeply at the symbols before him but they meant nothing to him. Carefully he handed the note to Quatre.   
  
"I can't read it," he said softly, almost afraid to hear what the note said.  
  
Quatre took a deep breath and read the note out loud.  
  
"Quatre and Milliardo. Duo and I left. Please don't look for us. Don't endanger yourselves. This works out for the best. Heero."  
  
Quatre's hand shook and he dropped the note. Biting his bottom lip he looked up at his father. "Tell me he didn't."  
  
"I found the note on his bed. Duo is gone."  
  
At those words Trowa bolted to his feet, racing out of the kitchen as fast as he could. Quatre scrambled to his feet and followed, his body trembling just slightly. It took him a while to catch up with the long legged emerald-eyed youth but when he did he found him in Duo's room, leaning out the window into the night. Trowa's hands clutched the windowsill so hard his knuckles were white.  
  
Quatre stood frozen in the doorway, staring at Trowa's silhouette in the moonlight from the open window.   
  
"Heero left?" Quatre whispered softly.  
  
Milliardo came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his son.  
  
"He'll die out there. They'll kill him. Why would he leave? Why?" Quatre's panicked voice dropped off as his body shook.  
  
Trowa turned back from the window and saw Quatre shivering in his father's arms, the blond boy on the verge of breaking just as Trowa had. Taking careful steps Trowa walked over to them and wrapped his arms around Quatre, as Milliardo also held him.  
  
"Don't worry," Trowa whispered softly into Quatre's ear. He recognized he needed to be strong. He could deal with this; he could pull himself together. He needed to. He needed to for Quatre. "Duo won't let anything happen to him. Duo will keep Heero safe."  
  
The three men stood there silently in the moonlight, hugging each other for comfort and attempting to be strong for themselves and each other. Beyond them the night air pulled at the light curtains, ruffling them in the night. And somewhere far beyond. Somewhere far past the window, deep in the woods behind the house there was the sound of four feet, running deep into the night.  
  
**  
  
Duo and Heero raced through the trees, there eyes on nothing but the path ahead. Neither knew the way out of the city, but Duo was the most likely one to figure it out, so he took the lead. He was surprised that he actually didn't have much trouble running even after lying in that bed for so long. His body automatically adjusted and he set a fast pace that allowed them speed but didn't sap all of their energy in one shot.   
  
He also found that Heero easily kept up with him, matching stride for stride. The boy behind him knew how to run, or at least how to keep silent. Together, if any had been listening on the edge of the trees, the two boys sounded simply like some four-legged animal fleeing a predator.   
  
They dropped to a halt at the edge of the woods, which marked the edge of Milliardo's territory. Before them, crossing through a sharp cut in the trees, was a well lit road way surrounded by small houses, and just beyond those was a relatively tall stone wall. Well, it wasn't that tall, but it certainly wasn't short enough to jump over.   
  
Duo dropped to a crouch behind one of the houses and motioned for Heero to stay hidden as he scanned the area. His well-trained eyes moved over the wall, looking for out cropping or area where they could climb the wall. Unfortunately he found nothing of any use, damn these people knew how to keep others in. Frowning deeply he concentrated on the surrounding houses, but none were built close enough to safely jump from. Backing away he sat down next to Heero and shook his head sadly, he couldn't find a way out.  
  
Heero stood up and crept around him, peering out toward the wall. After standing there for a moment he bolted toward the next house, taking refuge in the shadows surrounding it. Duo held his breath and prayed silently that no guards had seen him, what was he doing?! But a second later Heero waved him over.   
  
Blinking in confusion Duo checked the guards' positions and moved to join Heero. He followed the boy's pointing and saw what he'd seen. Some poor fool had left their wagon out in the back yard near the wall. It wouldn't have worked for anyone else, but since Heero and Duo were so small, they would easily be able to lift each other up and over the wall, which was exactly what they planned to do.  
  
Both boys crouched in silence as they watched the guards walk around on their shifts, patrolling back and forth. Unfortunately the wagon wasn't hidden from sight, but it was mostly shrouded in shadows so they doubted the guards had seen it. If they'd seen it they would have had it moved.   
  
Counting softly under his breath Duo memorized their timing. Taking a deep breath he signaled to Heero and the two bolted for the wagon. They moved as quickly and as silently as they could, but didn't make it in time. They were spotted almost immediately and soon there were whistles and guards rushing toward them. Duo quickly pushed Heero up to the top of the wall, ignore the shouts and yells of the people getting close.  
  
Locking hands and wrists with Heero he pulled himself up the wall as the guards came up behind them, just missing his ankle by a breath. Both boys turned and jumped down the other side, landing painfully on the rocky ground.   
  
By now the area around them was completely lit up and they could hear dogs and people yelling. Both boys jumped up and sprinted for the area ahead of them. Running at full tilt they focused everything on just moving as fast as they could. Behind them they could hear the people chasing and the dogs barking and worse. Both gasped for air and Heero stumbled a few times. Realizing that his friend was tiring and wasn't used to running for this long at this speed Duo caught his hand and pulled him on, keeping him from falling to the ground.  
  
They raced through trees, the branches and bushes tearing at their clothes and skin. Duo's long braid snagged on branches and scattered few bushes, but he'd made it loose so they either slid out or broke off and stuck. He'd take care of it later. Trees and heavy plant life grew up around them, enabling them to judge just how close their pursuers were from their crashing footsteps. Duo's legs ached and he was gasping air, his lungs burning, and he had no idea how Heero was holding up.  
  
Luckily, in front of them, they spotted their salvation.   
  
A river.  
  
Without warning Duo pulled Heero with him into the river. "Swim!" He choked out between gasping for air as he let go of Heero's hand. He watched the boy struggle for a few minutes but Heero quickly figured how to keep his head above water as they moved down the river. Luckily the current was also on their side so they halfway swam and halfway let the river take them. Keeping their heads down and their splashing to a minimum the two boys soon left their pursuers and the city far behind.  
  
It was well into the next morning when they finally climbed out of the water. And even then Duo wouldn't allow them to until he was absolutely sure there was no one around. Collapsing onto the bank the two boys lay across the rocks with their hands linked, gasping for air.  
  
Duo coughed as his world spun around him, the adrenaline leaving his body to just feel exhausted. He could barely move but he forced himself to stand and walk to the trees surrounding them. With careful eyes he picked out a specific tree and found a branch they would be relatively well hidden in. Helping Heero to his feet he helped the boy up into the tree and followed behind him.  
  
Once safely situated the two boys curled together and nestled in the branches, resting and watching the area around them.  
  
Duo sighed softly with relief as Heero lay against his chest, already having drifted into a light sleep. They'd made it. He wanted to dance around in happiness but he knew his body wouldn't let him. He didn't think they would have made it out that quickly and the wagon was just pure lucky, but they'd done it! They had escaped the city.  
  
Smiling he glanced down at the body cuddled in his arms. His heart twisted at the thought of the kind of life which he and Heero had voluntarily stepped back into, but at the same time he couldn't help but feel relieved that he wasn't alone. He knew from experience that it was easier to live in pairs, easier to survive and watch out for each other. He was glad Heero came with, even if it would be a hard life from here on.  
  
Glancing over the trees around them, the river below and the sky above he felt his eyes burn with left over tears. He knew he wouldn't see Trowa again, but at the same time his brother would be happy in that house. He shouldn't have called him a traitor, he realized now, it was probably the only solution that any could think of at the time. But he couldn't ignore how badly he'd felt when he saw that collar.   
  
But things were better this way.  
  
Trowa would be safe with Quatre's family and Duo would make sure nothing happened to Heero. Glancing down at the boy in his arms he nodded to himself.  
  
"You're mine to protect Heero, and I won't let them catch you."  
  
Drifting softly off to sleep, he could have sworn he'd heard his mother whisper those same words… the night before she disappeared forever.  
  
**  



	6. Part 5

  
  
Heero blinked open his eyes to find himself held in a tight embrace. His mind froze for a second as he felt the rough ground under his body and the tight hold, then he relaxed as he remembered where he was. He was sleeping in a tree, held tightly in Duo's protective embrace. Reaching up slowly he rubbed his eyes and turned his head, glancing up toward Duo's face.   
  
At the small movement Duo's eyes snapped open and immediately moved around to survey the area, narrowed in suspicion. Then, after he was sure, he glanced to Heero and flashed a light smile. Beyond them the sun was heading toward the horizon, it would be many hours before sunset, but it was getting close. Adjusting his position perched on the branch he gave Heero a small squeeze.  
  
"Sleep well?" he asked softly.  
  
Heero nodded and flexed his legs.  
  
"You soar from the running?"  
  
"Not too much." Heero pulled out of Duo's grasp and moved to sit on the branch, hanging his feet over the side as he swung them back and forth, trying to stretch out the protesting muscles.  
  
Duo's face became serious. "Are you able to run again?"  
  
Heero's eyes flickered to Duo's face and he remained still for a moment, then nodded once more.   
  
"Good, we should get going." Duo swung his feet over the side of the branch and jumped, landing hard on the ground with a small grunt. He winced as pain laced through his legs. "Crap," he muttered. "I really am out of shape." Turning he looked up at Heero and motioned for the boy to follow.  
  
Heero pushed himself out of the branch and jumped, surprised to find that Duo moved to catch him to avoid straining his legs, even though the excess pressure from catching him hurt Duo's legs even more.  
  
"You all right?" Heero asked, as he quickly stood to his feet.  
  
"Yeah, just not used to so much exercise in such a short amount of time. I'll get over it soon enough, as long as we keep walking for most of the day and I get used to it. You ok with that?"  
  
Heero nodded.  
  
With that the two set off, following the river in the opposite direction from the village. Duo figured it would be the easiest way to make sure they traveled in one direction and didn't loop around so he watched the river's path and the sun as they moved. He also favored the river because he knew that if they had to run more they could move faster by swimming. He didn't exactly relish in the idea of getting all soaked again, especially not this close to sunset, but it was a small price to pay for the extra speed the current provided.  
  
Behind him Heero followed silently, keeping up easily with the pace Duo'd set. Every once in a while he would stumble over a thick root or slip on one of the rocks, but he didn't fall down and he made sure it didn't slow him. Duo was quite happy Heero didn't fall because the last thing they needed at this time was to deal with a sprained ankle or worse.  
  
As they walked Duo's eyes flickered over their surroundings. In fact, if someone had been watching his eyes they would have either made themselves dizzy or thought he was mad. His eyes never stayed in the same place for very long and were always on the move. He didn't remember being this nervous back when he was travelling with Trowa but then again he'd been the younger one in the group then. Back then Trowa had had the most experience and therefore the main job of watching was left to him. This time Duo had to worry about Heero who followed behind him and had no idea what to expect in this kind of life. So Duo had to watch out for both of them.  
  
Perhaps it was that paranoia that made him believe they were still being followed. Frowning deeply he paused by the side of the river for a small rest and to grab a drink. Quickly he redid his braid so it wasn't quite as frayed and wouldn't get caught in anything. Heero walked over and crouched next to him.  
  
"We're still being hunted aren't we?"  
  
Duo nodded. "Most likely. They don't give up that quickly which is why we have to keep moving."  
  
They kept their voices low as they stood up and peered around. Duo eyed the water with a critical look. "It's faster here… the current. There's probably a waterfall or at least a large drop ahead. Which means we may be in for some climbing."  
  
Heero glanced past him, farther down the river. "We can't just ride the water over? Wouldn't that save more energy?"  
  
Duo shook his head quickly. "Not worth the risk. We have no idea how deep the river is below, or of the rocks, and it could be really high up. The fall itself might cause more damage then slipping on the way climbing down. But at least if we head that way and there is a waterfall they can't follow us with the dogs, it would take to long to get the mutts to climb down, especially if it's really steep-"  
  
Duo froze, his entire body going rigid. No, he hadn't just heard that!  
  
Whirling around he glared angrily at the forest behind them. Heero stiffened beside him, showing he heard the same thing.  
  
Dogs.  
  
Both of their eyes widened and Duo cursed. "Move, now," he growled softly.  
  
They both turned and ran, moving as fast and as silent as they could along the rocky shore of the river. He knew they would probably have a better chance veering off and taking off into the woods, but neither his legs nor Heero's could have taken that much strain. They were in no condition to try and outrun the dogs or the ones hunting them. Their only chance was to follow the river and hope his suspicions about the waterfall were right.   
  
Crashing through the brush they moved off the rocks, favoring speed over silence as they made their way. Duo took the lead but glanced over his shoulder frequently to make sure Heero was keeping up. He wasn't about to leave the other boy behind. Still, as they ran, the sounds behind them became louder. It was quite obvious that they hadn't been imagining things. Duo cursed at himself for allowing them to sleep in the tree for so long, they should have kept moving, no matter how much their legs had protested at the time.  
  
Beside them the water picked up its pace and they could soon make out a loud crashing sound from ahead of them. Duo grinned widely as he realized he'd been right, there was a waterfall.  
  
Breaking out of the forest they found themselves in a clearing which the river passed through just before dropping off into a valley below. Duo eyed the distance ahead of them… too far.  
  
Behind them they could hear the dogs clearly and the men with them. Duo came to a stop and tried to think of what to do. Unfortunately he wasn't paying attention and slipped on a rock which was covered by the grass. Stumbling forward he gave a cry as his knee hit another sharp rock, heat flooding over his leg. Gritting his teeth he rolled over and hissed, looking at the angry wound.   
  
"Duo!" Heero whirled around and raced back to him, offering a hand.   
  
Duo ignored the deep cut and used Heero's hand to pull himself back to his feet, even though it hurt like hell. "Quick, toward the river." He hissed, very aware of the sounds behind them.  
  
As the two neared the river Duo made a decision. He knew he wouldn't be able to run, especially not with his deep cut, and he certainly wouldn't risk swimming with it. As they moved toward the river Duo silently judged the current, noting that it was running very fast, but there weren't many rapids. Both he and Heero stopped at the edge of the river and Duo took a deep breath.  
  
"Where to now?" Heero asked quietly as the dogs and the men broke through the line of trees.  
  
Duo bit his lip and his eyes narrowed toward the dogs and the men close behind. He turned to Heero with a sad look in his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
With those words he shoved the boy backward into the water. Heero gave a cry of surprise as he tumbled into the fast current, his arms flailing out for something to grab onto.  
  
"Hold your breath and swim!" Duo yelled after him as the current carried Heero away. He watched the boy's head bob up and down in the water's surface and then he was gone, without even a yell as he disappeared over the side. Duo made a move to follow when a pair of sharp teeth clamped around his leg.  
  
He cried out and kicked at the dog, forcing it to let go with a yelp. Risking his knee and ignoring the pain Duo sprinted across the clearing and pulled himself quickly into a tree. Settling down on a branch he eyed the dogs barking at the trunk and jumping up at him. It wasn't long before the men caught up, two of them clustering under the tree and pointing their weapons while the other two moved to the edge of the cliff and eyed the water below.  
  
"Come down from there!" One of the men called.  
  
"No!" Duo yelled, trying to stall. He knew with their short swords and spear like blades wouldn't be able to get him down and he could always climb higher to get away. What he really cared about was getting those other two guys back from the ledge so that if Heero had survived the fall he could come up for air. Silently he cheered as the two men were called over to help him get out of the tree.  
  
The men weren't stupid enough to throw their weapons toward him. Instead they chose large rocks from along the river and tossed them up toward his perch on the branch. Duo did his best to dodge them but wasn't completely able to. One hit him hard in the shoulder and he gave a small cry almost losing his balance.   
  
It was the second one that hit that got him. It hit him square in the back of the head and his world swirled, his vision fading out for a moment and his balance disappearing. The next thing Duo knew he was no longer in the tree and instead was falling. Bringing his arms up to protect himself from the fall, he hit the hard ground in a roll, his head slamming against the ground. His world quickly faded out as he saw the dogs race toward him teeth bared.  
  
With his last moments of consciousness he was very thankful. Thankful he would be unconscious by the time they started biting him.   
  
And thankful that Heero had gotten away.  
  
He hoped Heero had survived the waterfall.  
  
He hoped…  
  
Darkness.  
  
**   
  
Heero swallowed the water in his lungs and tried desperately not to cough as he pulled himself up onto the rocks. Falling onto his stomach he gasped for air and immediately fell into a coughing fit, holding his chest in pain until it stopped. Holding his breath he glanced around him and squinted, trying to see through the wall of falling water which surrounded him. He had come up behind the waterfall, swimming against the pressure with all his strength to make sure he didn't drowned. Now the water roared around him and he was almost positive that he could have yelled and they wouldn't have heard him. Pulling himself completely out of the water he inspected his own body.  
  
He'd curled into a ball when he flew over the side of the cliff and had thankfully slowed the speed of his descent, even if only be a little. As a result he'd only scratched himself against the rocks at the bottom but had avoided getting any major cuts. Coughing up the rest of the water in his lungs he quickly scanned the water's surface in hope. Maybe Duo had followed him in, maybe…  
  
No, he knew Duo hadn't been able to follow, the dogs were too close and there was no way he could have climbed with that cut on his knee. Heero bit his bottom lip hard and crawled into a corner of the cave, wrapping his arms around his knees. He wasn't sure what to do now. Should he keep moving by running or swimming? That meant there was a chance of the other men seeing him if they were watching from the cliff. But then again if he stayed where he was they would easily find him. He had no idea if they would give up the search when they reached the cliff or if they would keep chasing him until they caught him or found his corpse.   
  
Hugging himself tightly he shivered against the cold air in the cave and eyed the walls. It was only a guess, but judging from edges on the inside he guessed the sides of the cliff were pretty steep. Still, he had no idea how much that would hold off their chase.  
  
Standing up he walked to the edge of the loud curtain of water and stepped out, hugging the wall. Straining carefully with his ears he listened, trying to pick out any sounds from above. Then an idea hit him. One direction they wouldn't expect to find him in.   
  
Taking a deep breath he began to climb the side of the cliff on the opposite side of the water. Any smart escapee would keep running, as far from the town as they could. But Heero wasn't like them, and especially not smart enough to survive on his own. So he had to rely on his own knowledge. He was raised in the same world as those men had been and he knew that when a slave escaped they raced as far away from the city as they could.  
  
Which meant that no one would expect a slave to head back for the city under the pretense of protection. But since he had no idea how to live on his own yet he decided he had to outsmart them and lose them before he could learn how to live. Setting his mind he concentrated on climbing the steep rock wall as quietly as he could. He stayed away from the wet rocks and slowly made his way up, rarely slipping.  
  
It was a painstakingly long process with little chance to rest but he didn't have much of a choice. By the time he made it to the top his arms and legs were screaming in protest and he had to bite back his own cries of pain and fatigue. Peeking over the side he found the clearing completely empty and no sign of them hiding in the trees. Beyond him the sun was already setting, telling of the cold night to come. He pulled himself up from the rocky wall and quickly moved to the edge of the river.  
  
Peering to the other side he let out a sigh of relief as he spotted no body. At least they hadn't killed Duo and just left his body to rot. But he still had no guarantee if the braided boy lived.  
  
Hugging himself tightly Heero turned his back from the river and made his way into the woods. Following Duo's example from the previous night he searched until he found a tree where he could reach the lowest branch and pulled himself up among the leaves. Climbing quite high he made sure the leaves completely blocked him site, then snuggled in between an Y shaped set of branches. Hugging himself against the cold he closed his eyes and tried to rest.   
  
But it wasn't a sound sleep at all. He kept waking up in the middle of the night, the scene of Duo shoving him into the water to save him being played over and over again in his mind. At last he was able to silently drift into a light sleep, small tears rolling down the side of his face. He'd traded one type of hiding for another. At first he'd had no problem with that since Duo was with him and he would have done anything to be with the lovely braided boy.  
  
But now… now he was all alone.  
  
Alone and lost.  
  
What was he supposed to do now?  
  
**  



	7. Part 6

Part 6  
  
"Duo?"  
  
The voice sounded very far away, almost too hard to make out. Still it peeked Duo's curiosity and he forced himself back to the painful world of the living as he heard his name repeated over and over again in a very hushed and familiar voice. Moaning loudly he forced his eyes to blink open and immediately winced at the bright light in his eyes. He brought his hand up to shield his face and was started to find it wouldn't move that far, the clattering of chains giving him all the explanation he needed.  
  
Blinking his eyes rapidly so they got used to the light he was finally able to make out the world around him. He was lying in the middle of a large cage-like structure, surrounded by many people who were huddled to themselves and chained to the ground just like him. Moving slowly he lifted his head and sat up, biting back the cry from the sharp pains all over his body. A quick glance down told him that no one had stopped the dogs from attacking him, small dirty cuts covered his body and he found his hands and arms were torn almost beyond recognition just like his pants, his shirt completely gone. Sitting up he turned toward the voice.  
  
His eyes widened as he saw Quatre standing there, a very worried look in his eyes. Duo immediately looked away as he was filled with guilt. He'd left Heero out in the woods, no idea if the boy was alive or not, no idea how to live on his own out there. Heero was all by himself, and most likely wouldn't last the week. Shivering Duo pulled up his knees to his chest and hugged them tightly, slowly turning back to face the worried blond boy.  
  
"Where's Heero?" Quatre whispered in soft fear, very scared of the actual answer to the question.  
  
"Out there, he got away."  
  
Light seemed to fill Quatre's eyes and a smile burst across his face. "He's ok?"  
  
Duo nodded, ignoring the pain in his stiff neck. "I pushed him into the river before they could catch him. I'm sure he… survived." Duo forced himself to not mention the waterfall. He could tell how much it had hurt Quatre to know that his brother had run away, but it would hurt him even more if he knew there was a large possibility that Heero was dead. No, some things were better left not said. Better to let Quatre keep thinking his brother was alive.  
  
"Thank you," Quatre whispered very softly. "For making sure he didn't get caught."  
  
Duo winced at those words but managed to nod. Quatre's words stabbed straight into him, a pool of guilt growing. No, he hadn't saved Heero; he'd sentenced the poor boy to death, either by drowning or starvation. There was no way anyone raised in a blond household would be able to survive out there, no matter how many books he'd read. No, it was his fault that Heero was out there; he'd practically sentenced the boy to die.   
  
"I'm gonna get you out of here." Quatre said quickly, interrupting Duo's moment of self-pity.  
  
"You can't, you'll get in trouble." Duo said in a low voice. No! Absolutely not! He would not be responsible for another death! "I was caught running away, I'm going to be hung, I know it."  
  
Quatre shook his head. "I'll bring father, he's got enough money he can convince them to let you go again. And then we'll keep you at the house until-"  
  
Duo shook his head wildly, cutting the boy off with a sharp "No!" He was very aware of the eyes of those around them, all focusing on Quatre and him. If Quatre kept this up they would both be in trouble. He was about to tell Quatre to forget about it when he saw someone step up behind Quatre and cross her arms.  
  
All seemed to fall silent and the tension in the air increased dramatically. Quatre noticed the look on Duo's face and swallowed hard, turning he found himself face to face with a smirking girl, Treize's daughter Dorothy.  
  
"Good day, Quatre." She said softly.  
  
"Morning." Quatre managed to choke out.  
  
"How interesting that you seem to know that slave." She nodded once toward Duo, her eyes narrowing. "Could it be that your family owned him?"  
  
Quatre bit his lip, not sure what to say. He knew that families that allowed their slaves to escape were not looked upon highly, but if Dorothy had heard what he'd said to Duo about setting him free… He shuddered slightly and took a step back, his voice freezing in his throat.  
  
"Maybe I was hearing things, but" Dorothy's voice raised so it caught the attention of many of the people passing by on the street, blond and slave alike. "But it seemed to me that you were speaking of freeing this slave. Could it be that he escaped on purpose?"  
  
"Run," Duo bit out, not caring about the punishment he would get for it. Jumping up he dove toward Dorothy, even though bars separated them and chains held him mostly back. His distraction served two purposes; it surprised Dorothy and broke Quatre out of his frightened daze. Quatre bolted out of the village square, heading straight back for his house as fast as he could to warn his family.  
  
"Animal!" Dorothy yelled, kicking at Duo between the bars and hitting him in the face with her hard shoe. Duo rolled back onto the ground with a small cry, holding the side of his face as it stung. When he looked back up he found that she was walking away from the cage toward a group of three men which had blocked Quatre's path and were now doing their best to keep him from running, though he was putting up quite a struggle.  
  
Dorothy sauntered over to him and narrowed her eyes. "I knew your family was scum, especially after the incident between your father and that slave bitch."  
  
Quatre's eyes narrowed dangerously at that comment but he struggled to keep his mouth shut.   
  
"You should have all been executed together." Glancing up at the guards she nodded and they pulled Quatre over to the cells by Duo where they grabbed a set of chains and fastened them tightly around his wrists.  
  
Duo fought back his blinding rage as he watched the young blond boy being pulled away toward a larger building which served as a holding area for slaves to be sold or to be executed. He closed his eyes and angrily shook away the tears which formed and slipped down his cheeks. Curling up tightly into a ball, or at least as much as the chains attached to his feet and wrists would let him he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  
  
The anger and rage all melted away, almost instantly, leaving Duo in a child-like state of mourning. He sobbed once as he thought about what would happen to Quatre's whole family because of his running away. He sobbed once more and scolded himself silently for being such an idiot, then just laid there. Afraid to move.  
  
Everything he did resulted in someone's death. He was better off dead now, at least if he was hung and buried he wouldn't be responsible for killing off anyone else.  
  
***  
  
Trowa sat silently in his room, curled up against the wall in deep thought. Even though his eyes were open he was staring at the blank wall with a glazed over look. Before his eyes he could see the various images of his past, running and fleeing with his family. Watching his father get caught as he was just a very small child, seeing the older man being beaten and attacked by dogs as they kept running, his mother holding Duo tightly in her arms.  
  
He remembered his mother telling them to stay where they were and not come out of the hiding spot, and then she left. She never came back. And now Duo had run away and left him alone in the middle of a blond town.   
  
Still, this wasn't the same. Duo had left him, knowing that he would be safe in the house and still be able to survive with little to no risk. Trowa understood why Duo had left him at the house without telling him before hand, but he still didn't quite understand what he was supposed to do now. After living a life of running for so long actually getting used to the idea of being safe was hard. And even though he now trusted Milliardo and Quatre he didn't feel safe. He was still in a blond town and the situation had the potential of blowing up in his face at any time.  
  
Almost as if on cue Milliardo stepped into the room, a worried look on his face. Trowa blinked himself out of his memories and looked up at him.  
  
"Something's wrong," Trowa murmured, taking note of the blond man's expression.  
  
Milliardo nodded. "Quatre went into town a while ago and hasn't returned. Also we have guests at the front door."  
  
Trowa's eyes widened slightly and he stood up.  
  
"Nothing to worry about, yet. But just to be on the safe side you better stay out of site and possibly sneak out the back. I don't trust the men outside the front door, there are too many of them."  
  
Trowa stood slightly in shock as he realized what Milliardo was saying. "You know they have come to take us away and you're not escaping?"  
  
The man shook his head. "My first concern is for my son, and you. Take food and clothing and get away from the house."  
  
Trowa opened his mouth to protest when he heard the sound of splintering wood from somewhere near the front door.  
  
"Go." Milliardo said in a completely flat tone. Trowa didn't protest, instead he just nodded and turned away, racing on quiet feet for the kitchen to put together a small bag and then racing for the back door. Behind him he heard the men yelling at Milliardo responding calmly, letting them take him away.  
  
He reached the back door only to find it surrounded by a group of men trying to force their way in. What had happened? How had they found out unless… He hid quickly by ducking into a side room and climbing out the window into an area hidden by thick flowered bushes.   
  
Sneaking around to the front of the house Trowa watched as Milliardo was led out of the house, his arms in chains, and pushed into a waiting cart. Minutes later men came out of the house reporting that no one else was inside. Milliardo didn't reply.  
  
Trowa stayed crouched in the bushes until the men left the yard, heading back for the main part of town. How had they found out? How had this all gone wrong? Unless… unless something happened to Quatre… or unless they'd found Duo and Heero!  
  
Forcing away his panic Trowa took a deep breath. He had to do something. He had to find out what had happened to Quatre and if Duo had been caught. Closing his eyes he forced himself to think before acting and carefully laid out a plan. Then, after taking another deep breath, he began to weave his way toward the main part of town. Staying behind buildings and out of site the moving was slow and tedious, but he kept his mind on the goal. He had just begun to trust this family and he wasn't about to let them die because of their kindness, not if he had could do something about it.  
  
He'd lost his entire family to slavery save his brother. He was not about to lose his current family without a fight.  
  
***  
  
Duo opened his eyes and moved once more as he heard the door to his cage being opened. Glancing up he found two men standing there with weapons and a set of keys. They glared angrily at him, just daring him to try anything.   
  
He didn't.  
  
He remained completely silent and still as they grabbed him by his tangled braid and unlocked his chains from the ground. Re-chaining his hands together they used his braid like a lease to lead him out of the cage and toward the large holding structure Quatre had disappeared into. Duo blinked in confusion. They were moving him? They weren't leading him to be executed? Why bother moving him?  
  
He followed them inside the building, doing his best to ignore the sharp pains from his aching body and them yanking his hair. Upon stepping into the holding building he found himself surrounded by the stench of unwashed bodies which hadn't seen the light of day for a long time. He was led to one cage in particular, where they paused as one of the guards undid the lock. Without much warning they shoved Duo into the cell and slammed the door shut quickly before any of the other prisoners could rush them and escape. Duo stumbled to the ground with a cry, one of his many cut reopening as the dirt and sand covered ground rubbed against it. Hissing he sat up and held the cut, trying to stop the bleeding.  
  
Behind him he heard whimpering in the corner. Duo turned around to see Quatre huddled there, hugging his knees tightly and eyeing everyone else in the cage with a scared look. His clothes were torn and he was already covered with dirt and sand, scratches covering what skin could be seen. Duo's eyes widened as the guards left the building and the other slaves turned to glare at Quatre.  
  
"What did you do to him?" Duo whispered softly as he crawled toward the trembling blond boy. At first Quatre didn't seem to recognize him, he just tried to shrink back into his corner, but after a few kind words and a small pitying smile he recognized Duo and collapsed forward into his arms.  
  
Duo held the boy tightly, glaring angrily at the others around him. He didn't care about their looks of hatred, no one deserved to be treated like this. No one deserved to be beaten up just because of their hair color or the house they grew up in. Leaning back into the corner he let Quatre crawl into his lap and curl up there in his embrace, crying softly. Meanwhile Duo held him and kept his eyes on the others in the cage.   
  
"Just stay away," he warned in a low voice.  
  
"You'd protect one of their kind?" One of the others spat in hatred.  
  
Duo nodded. "Yes, I would. Just as his family protected me."  
  
Silence filled the cell for a long moment as they pondered his words, then most turned away, ignoring him and Quatre and turning back to their own things.  
  
"I'm sorry, Quatre." Duo whispered quietly. "This is my fault, I shouldn't have run off."  
  
Quatre shook his head. "It's not your fault." He whispered back between sobs. "They were bound to find out eventually. We were only lucky to have kept the secret for this long."  
  
Duo held the boy close and peered out the small window across the room. He was greeted with the sight of a tall pole of wood with a single rope hanging down to create a loop. Duo's eyes widened. No… they had a perfect view of the hangman's noose from here… a perfect view of their fate. He swallowed hard and looked away, not wanting to see the sign of his inevitable fate. Instead he concentrated on comforting Quatre in his arms. He wished he knew a way out of this situation, but he was completely lost.  
  
***  
  
Trowa watched from the shadows of a large estate as Milliardo was pulled out of the carriage and brought to stand before Treize, his daughter and a few other well-dressed blondes. He couldn't tell what they were talking about but he got the gist of it. They were accusing Milliardo of many things… and he wasn't denying it!  
  
The conversation was ended rather abruptly and Milliardo was led back to the carriage, taking off for the center of time. Trowa had gotten the impression that Quatre had been caught and was being held in the Town Square where they kept all the slaves who were to be sold or executed.   
  
Trowa bit his bottom lip, trying to decide what to do. Biting down harder he turned and raced for the walls of the city, ignoring all the people around him and those who did see him fleeing. His only thoughts were of Heero and Duo… perhaps, if he was lucky, he could find them. He didn't honestly think he would be able to find them in time to get them to help save Quatre or Milliardo but he didn't have much else of an option. He had to try something and currently finding his brother and Heero was all he could think of. He just prayed that they wouldn't be executed immediately.  
  
**  
  
Quatre glanced up from where he sat in Duo's arms and noticed the window's view. Moving slowly he pulled out of Duo's arms and walked to the barred window, his body still trembling. Duo stood up to follow him, but froze as he saw what Quatre was so intent on.  
  
They were leading someone up to the hangman's noose.  
  
"No," Quatre whispered softly.  
  
It was Milliardo.  
  
Duo and Quatre watched in petrified horror as the tall man was led up to the noose and his hands were lashed behind his back. The rope was fastened around his neck and the guards behind him gave a thumbs up sign. Duo stepped forward and grabbed Quatre, pulling him down to the ground where neither of them could see what was happening, but both heard the distinct sound of the trap door falling away and the rope snapping taunt. Quatre shook in Duo's arms and tears flowed down his face.   
  
Duo joined in with Quatre's tears, the two holding each other as they lay below the window. Both forgot about the slaves surrounding them. All their thoughts were on the scene they had just witnessed, and what they themselves would soon have to face.  
  
There was no way out.   
  
Now only the agony of the wait remained before their deaths.  
  
End of part 6  
  
Author's note: things will be fixed... as much as they can be. Just trust me.  



	8. Part 7

Part 7   
  
Trowa crept behind the house and eyed the wall suspiciously. He'd stayed hidden in an old shed until night had fallen. Upon stepping out of the shed he'd found that there was almost no moon at all, the large glowing orb reduced to a small sliver in the sky when it wasn't covered by clouds. It wasn't the ideal time for finding people in the woods, or attempting to follow a trail, but it was the ideal light for escaping, if you didn't mind tripping a few times. Sighing to himself he leaned against the house and tried to figure out what to do.   
  
His chances for finding Heero and Duo past the city were close to nil, and he almost had a better chance of attempting to get Quatre out of the cell and then trying to escape. He couldn't decide what to do.   
  
As he weighed his choices he noticed a small amount of movement near the wall. Trowa froze where he was, slinking back into the dark shadows of the house with his eyes narrowed. He held his breath as he watched the thin hands appear on the top of the wall and the boy pull himself to the top. The boy paused for a mere second to glance around quickly then jumped down and melted into the shadows.   
  
Trowa frowned and slowly inched away from the house. He'd heard of slaves escaping the city but never of trying to escape the forest. Unfortunately the figure had moved too fast so all Trowa could tell in the dim night light was that the figure's hair was quite dark. Staying close in the shadows he advanced toward the figure, being careful to watch the guards who patrolled the walls.   
  
He drew closer and found the thin figure leaning against a tree, trying to catch his breath quietly. As Trowa moved closer the figure froze and turned wide, almost frightened blue eyes toward him.   
  
Heero!   
  
Trowa's own eyes widened in question and he glanced back at the wall, looking for any sign of his brother. After a moment he looked back to see Heero sadly shaking his head. Trowa glanced to the guards and motioned for Heero to follow to a place where they could talk.   
  
Keeping to the shadows Heero followed Trowa back to the shed where he'd spent the rest of the day and they safely locked the door from the inside. Crawling to the very back among the many tools Heero immediately dropped to sit down, massaging his aching legs.   
  
"Where's Duo?"   
  
"Where's Quatre?"   
  
Both paused as they asked their questions at the same time. If it weren't for the current situations it might have actually been funny, but at least it broke a small amount of tension, while building a little more. Each expected the other to be with their sibling, and now both were worried about what had gone wrong.   
  
Heero swallowed and opted to answer first. "He got caught," he whispered in a soft voice filled with guilt. "They were chasing us and he pushed me in the river to make sure I got away, when I finally got back to the last place where I'd seen him he was gone."   
  
Trowa leaned back against a bare spot on the wall and hung his head. "That probably explains a lot then. You didn't find a body?"   
  
Heero shook his head, quite surprised on how well Trowa was taking this. There was a large chance that Duo was dead, or worse. But then, Heero reflected, Trowa had lost most of his family already so maybe, as gruesome as it sounded, he was used to it. Heero didn't like that thought. "No trace, I figured they brought him back to the city."   
  
Trowa frowned deeply.   
  
"Where's Quatre and my father?" Heero asked quietly after a moment. He wasn't eager to hear the answer but he couldn't think of a reason why Trowa would have left his safe house.   
  
Trowa stood up and turned away, leaning his forehead against the wall and punching it, but lightly enough that the objects on the wall only shifted and didn't make any noise. He shut his eyes and looked angry or frustrated for a moment. "Probably in the same cell as Duo," he spat out.   
  
Heero's eyes widened. "How?" he demanded quickly.   
  
"I don't know. Quatre left the house for a while and then people started gathering at the front and back doors. Your father told me to hide and stay out of sight then he went with them without a fight."   
  
Heero stood up and walked to the walls, his eyes moving over the various gardening materials hanging before him. Quietly he picked up a shovel and headed toward a locked area of the shed in the back. Like all good slave owners these ones kept the sharp tools in the very back of the shed in a separate locked compartment, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. He paused at the door and lock and glanced back at Trowa in silent question.   
  
"What are you planning?" Trowa asked, looking at him.   
  
"Getting them out. Duo risked his life to save me; I owe him the same. Besides," he said, swinging the shovel over his shoulder and getting ready to strike. "I can't live out there on my own, and if I'm going to die I'm going to die saving him, not of starvation."   
  
With those words Heero struck, the shovel making a loud clang noise as it connected with the metal lock. Trowa raced to his side and grabbed another shovel, joining in to hit the lock. He knew that eventually the sounds would carry to the main house and if they didn't want to get caught they had to get the door open and get out of there.   
  
The lock broke after a few more hits and Heero tossed the shovel to the side, throwing open the doors. Selecting from the various tools Heero grabbed a hatchet while Trowa opted for a long wooden replacement handle, resembling a staff. Turning around quickly the two raced out of the shed, successfully ducking behind the next house before anyone saw them. From there Trowa took the lead, heading toward the center of town.   
  
The town square was very silent compared to its busy self in daylight. No one walked the streets that night, probably because of the darkness and the thick clouds over head which threatened rain within the hour. Lucky for the two boys they found no one. Sneaking into the Town Square, hugging the edges of buildings and ducking below windows, they made their way toward the main slave holding building.   
  
A wind picked up, blowing harshly and whipping at their skin, smelling distinctly of the rain soon to come. Neither took it as a good sign, least not for escaping the city. Rain would create mud, which would slow their getaway and their process of climbing over the wall, but in the long run it would be beneficial because it would keep the hunters off their tracks when they got over the city wall... if they got over the city wall.   
  
Trowa and Heero came to a pause hidden behind the shadows by the gallows platform, peeking around the corner toward the holding building. Trowa noticed there were two guards, quite awake, who stood at attention. They were heavily armed with their long pole-like spears, their eyes alert despite the almost complete lack of light. Behind them he heard a small gasp from Heero as another sound reached their ears, a soft creaking. Trowa glanced back at Heero to find him crouching stiffly with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open in mute fear. He followed Heero's gaze and froze.   
  
Just above them, practically over head where they crouched, was a hanging body, swaying lightly in the strong wind. But it wasn't just the fact of the body itself; it was who the body had been.   
  
Milliardo.   
  
Trowa shuddered, tightening his hand on his weapon to keep himself calm. Quickly his eyes moved to the other two nooses hanging beside Milliardo's body, but to his relief he didn't find anyone hanging from them. That meant Quatre and Duo were probably still alive. Slowly, as not to startle the other boy, Trowa placed his hand on Heero's shoulder.   
  
Heero shook off the touch as soon as he noticed it and shook his head madly, tearing his eyes away from the horrible vision. Small tears glinted down his face in the dim light but he ignored them, shutting his eyes tightly and shivering. Then he was done. A second later Heero took a deep silent breath and composed himself, growing deadly calm.   
  
"You get them, I'll create a distraction." He spoke just above a whisper, directly into Trowa's ear. Trowa had to strain to listen because the wind was picking up and practically swallowed Heero's words, but he got the gist of the message. He didn't have time to argue or ask Heero what he had in mind, so instead he just nodded and glanced back at the guards.   
  
Heero watched Trowa sprint to another shadow, this time closer to the building then nodded to himself. Waiting silently he pondered how he was going to distract them. He hated doing this to his father's body, but he couldn't think of any other way to draw their attention. So instead he held the hatchet tightly in his hands and glanced up at the noose which held Milliardo suspended.   
  
The body was held up in the air by a thick woven rope which looped around the main support beam. The rope was only as thick around as a few fingers, but strong enough to hold the body up for a good time. Keeping that in mind Heero darted across the square, hiding in a shadow where he could easily see the rope but was out of sight of the guards. Standing up completely he raised the hatchet and concentrated on the rope. Pursing his lips he threw the hatchet, praying it would hit its mark.   
  
There was a loud thunk and both guards turned toward the gallows platform, watching it suspiciously. Heero held his breath and froze, his eyes locked on the blade. It had landed almost perfectly, but the rope hadn't snapped. Heero watched quietly as one of the guards stepped toward the gallows to check out the sound, meanwhile there was the soft sound of the rope straining. It had cut the rope! Just not close enough to make the body fall.   
  
The guard climbed up onto the platform and moved around a bit, appearing to look around for what had made the sound. Heero couldn't clearly see since the night had grown darker, a cloud settling above them in the sky. Almost complete darkness. While the guard's back was turned there was the sound of a SNAP! The guard whirled around but neither he nor Heero could see what was going on.   
  
Heero watched the guard jump down from the platform and race for his post, then there was another loud SNAP! Followed by complete silence. Heero stayed crouched in his hiding spot, his eyes on what he could see of the holding building. He had a suspicion that the sounds had come from Trowa, but there was no way to be sure. So instead he stayed still, waiting just in case something went wrong.   
  
**   
  
Trowa snapped his long stick against the back of the second guard's neck and watched the man crumble to the ground, unconscious on top of his fallen partner. Dropping down quickly Trowa checked their belts and came up with the keys. Holding them tightly in his hands so they didn't make a sound he snuck into the building.   
  
To his surprise he found no other guards inside. He resisted the urge to give a small laugh, were they really that stupid as to not leave a guard on the inside? Trowa stayed frozen for a moment, his eyes searching the darkness. He could smell the unwashed bodies of the people in the cells, small coughs and movements punctuating the silence. From outside the wind was still moving and lightning flashed across the sky. The light shown for a second through the windows and Trowa caught a glimpse of a small amount of blond hair, or at least he thought he did. Rushing over to the bars he whispered as soft as he could.   
  
"Quatre?"   
  
Movement followed his word, movement from all around him. He could make out the faint silhouette of someone moving and turning toward him. Then suddenly two forms rushed up to the bars and he recognized them as Duo and Quatre.   
  
Quatre opened his mouth to say something but Duo immediately clamped his hand over Quatre's mouth, keeping the boy silent. Duo's shining eyes met with his brothers' and then he rose up and led Trowa to the lock for the main cell door.   
  
There was a slight jingle of keys as Trowa tried a few in the lock, then finally a click and the door swung open. Now there was movement all around them, many dark haired figures rising to their feet and moving cautiously toward the door.   
  
"It's about to rain," Trowa murmured to all of them, his eyes fixed on the main door. "If we want to escape we run now. Two unconscious guards outside. I don't know if there are others."   
  
No one answered but their silence seemed to be answer enough. Trowa quickly used the keys to unlock the chains around Duo and Quatre's wrists then they in turn turned and helped the others. While Duo helped everyone out of their chains Quatre wrapped his arms tightly around Trowa, sobbing silently into his chest.   
  
Trowa pulled the boy off to the side with a soft smile and then knelt down, grabbing some mud from the floor. He showed the mud to Quatre in a silent gesture then rubbed it into the boy's hair, turning it to a muddy brown so it was harder to see at night. Quatre still hugged him tightly, afraid to let go.   
  
A moment later Duo joined them and nodded toward the door, indicating everyone was ready to go. With nods from the entire group Trowa stepped outside the door, his eyes covering the area around them. Small drops of rain started to fall from the sky as lightning flashed, illuminating the area around them. No one. No guards had noticed what was going on yet. Nodding back to the others he took Quatre and Duo's hands and they bolted out the door, heading straight for the walls surrounding the city.   
  
Heero spotted them running and quickly jumped to his feet, catching up with them and racing with them as the rain came down harshly from the sky.   
  
The moments after that were blurred into movements, shouts, angry yells, cries and flying weapons. It was everyone for themselves, a huge race for the edge of the city. No one stopped to help the ones that fell, recognizing that it would be death to them as well. A few clasped hands and kept each other running like the four boys, but most were only worried about their own safety. Trowa had abandoned the long wooden pole at the door to the holding building and was now just running full tilt as he held Quatre's hand. Duo had clasped hands with Heero and they followed only a step behind.   
  
The four boys were the first to reach the wall and found no wagon this time. But with the help of each other and a few other freed slaves they all made it over the wall, only losing a few faces they didn't even recognize. Then they were running full tilt through the woods, the sounds still following them. The slaves that did escape fanned out, scattering among the trees and disappearing into the muddy darkness.   
  
They ran the entire night, never looking back, never stopping to take a break. At one point Duo gave a small cry because of the cut on his knee, but still kept running, only clutching Heero's hand tighter. He could deal with the pain, escaping was more important.   
  
They didn't stop until the sun peeked over the horizon, signaling the end of the rain and the beginning of a new day. Only then did the boys slow their pace to a quick walk. Trowa took his own shirt off and ripped off a long strip to wrap around Duo's reopened wound and then they were moving again.   
  
Time passed quickly with little rest. None made a sound as Trowa led them in one direction, their backs to the city. They all recognized that they could still be hunted down, and no one suggested they stop. Trowa had taken the lead, he was the oldest and had the most knowledge, so it was his responsibility to make sure the others made it as well. Occasionally they'd run across the tracks of another who had escaped, but they never pursued them. It was safer to travel alone and not follow each other.   
  
It seemed like years until they finally reached a place which Trowa deemed safe enough to stop. No one knew how long it had been since they'd escaped, but they knew the sun had set and was now threatening to rise again. The land around them sloped up into a steep hill and Trowa led the stumbling group to an opening in the hill obscured by bushes.   
  
Without any words they all stumbled into the small cave and fell to the ground, welcoming the chance for a rest. Smiling the boys curled up against each other for warmth and two quickly drifted off to sleep, Quatre wrapped in Trowa's arms while Heero snuggled into Duo's.   
  
The two brothers locked eyes and Duo flashed a small smile of gratitude to his older sibling.   
  
They had made it. They'd escaped and they were all still together. They had no idea what the future would bring, how long they'd end up running or how much longer they would live. But they'd escaped this time, and that was all that mattered.   
  
At least for the time being, they were free.   
  
Owari. 


End file.
